Mystery of missing millions in unpaid fines

Our worst fine dodgers owe just over $3 million - but Courts Minister Rick Barker won't name them because of their right to privacy.

It's a different rule to the one he applied this week after leading a $100,000 campaign to "name and shame" 2230 people for not paying their fines.

The $3,022,625 owed by the biggest defaulters is enough to pay two primary school teachers a good wage for their entire careers, or carry out 118 heart transplants.

Yet the Department of Courts has advised the minister to keep quiet about the top 10 even though it distributed the names of ordinary fines defaulters to newspapers across the country.

The department will say two of the top 10 are overseas, one is in prison and another just released. Two others are missing, although the remaining four have been located. Three of those have not kept court-ordered payment plans.

Jenni Norton, who is in charge of collecting fines for the courts, said releasing the names of the worst fine dodgers in the country would "infringe the privacy interests of the individuals concerned".

"There are no greater public interest considerations which would warrant the release of the fines defaulters' names."

Both Mr Barker and Ms Norton ducked for cover on the issue last week. Media specialists who work for both came back with the same message.

"She is too busy for an interview," said Margaret Styles, for the Department for Courts on Thursday. Karen Potaka said Mr Barker was unable to spare five minutes on Thursday, Friday or Saturday.

Mr Barker wasn't too busy during the "name and shame" campaign, putting time aside to develop three media releases warning people to pay up or be identified. As a result of the campaign, 3145 defaulters who didn't want to be named promised to pay fines or reparations worth an average $855.

The decision not to "name and shame" the worst - who were fined for dozens of criminal acts and thousands of traffic offences - has been greeted with amazement by the Sensible Sentencing Trust and National MP Tony Ryall.

Mr Ryall said equality was critical to a fair justice system and protecting the identities of the worst defaulters made him wonder "who are they trying to protect?

"If the government is willing to name people that owe hundreds of dollars of fines they should be willing to name blatant defaulters."

He said more effort needed to go into making people pay fines when they received them, to stop such massive amounts building.

Garth McVicar of the Sensible Sentencing Trust said it was "bloody stupid" and encouraged the department to "name and shame" the top 10.

"I don't see how you can have rights without responsibilities and if you're avoiding fines of this magnitude you're avoiding your responsibility as a citizen."

I won't be returning

A car dealer owing $1.8 million in fines has fled the country and has vowed not to return.

Reece "Rusty" Rosvall has told his father Peter he isn't coming back until the fines are wiped.

Rosvall moved to Chile in 1996, then Australia after he was fined for submitting false information and documentation relating to the importation of used Japanese cars.

At the time Customs swooped, Rosvall was in Japan buying cars.

His dad says he never came back, and he hasn't met with his son since. His daughter-in-law left the country to join him shortly after the trial.

Mr Rosvall said it was unfair his son was able to be identified by the size of his fine while the Department of Courts never named the other top nine.

- THE HERALD ON SUNDAY