I’ve finally had it with state bureacracies. My son (now 20) originally got his learners licence in NSW when he turned 16. He has worked full time since then so has not had a lot of time for lessons. He has moved state twice for his jobs during the last 5 years, once to Adelaide where he also obtained a learners licence and then to Canberra where his South Australian learners licence expired days after we arrived and before he could realistically prepare for a test in a foreign environment.
So he had to obtain the ACT learner licence at a further cost to himself for the compulsory Road Ready Course- even after holding a learners licence for 5 years. He was happy to do so. However, having established at both the Dickson and Civic Shopfronts that he did not need to have this ACT licence for the full six months prior to booking a licence test I am flummoxed today that he’s been told that ‘they have no proof that he had a South Australian licence’ and have refused to provide him with a licence test date- regardless of the fact that the Dickson shopfront made us wait at length while they faxed SA regarding his SA licence before granting him the ACT learner permit and that he was holding the expired SA licence in his hand while speaking to the woman from Canberra Connect.
My son pays a LOT of tax. All he wants is his licence but between his busy work schedule and our government bureaucracy I’m starting to wonder if he will ever get it. He is an honest, responsible citizen who has never put a foot wrong and is still attempting to comply with every hurdle this bureaucracy insists on putting before him. But it does make me question why it exists- why the replication? Does he go to work to pay taxes to fund these hurdles that are put before him which prevent him from going about his life? Why do we put people who move state (and their wallets) though the wringer?
Loading ...
What’s Your opinion?
Bureaucracy gone mad!
I think you mean to say ‘Federation gone mad’. Every state/territory likes to have its own little spin on things, learners’ permits included.
Bureaucracy expands to meet the needs of bureaucrats, not the needs of those they serve.
On the other hand, I got issued my Learner’s on a gold card, and didn’t think much of it until I went to get my Provisionals and the staff behind the counter were all amazed that I’d originally been allowed to walk out the door with my golden
ticketcard.Moral of the story: Canberra Connect makes mistakes.
Just keep at them, or discuss things with the phone staff and cause problems until they escalate you to a supervisor.
(Five years is an incredibly long time to be on your Learner’s Permit, though.)
All I can say is that in order to deal with Rego ACT you had better develop a thick skin pretty quickly. They are without a doubt the most backward, incompetent and underresourced department I have encountered.
Last time I checked every citizen of this country had equal rights, regardless of how much tax they paid.
You have got to be kidding!!!! Your son has held his (various) L’s for 4 years and he has never had the time to book a driving test!!! And you blame the ‘system’ for this!!! Get
over yourself… So your telling us that your Son has never had a holiday in the past 4 years. Wow what dedication… your telling us that your Son’s employer wont give him a couple of hours off to sit his driving test…
Perhaps you should be questioning him and not the system!!!
Oh – and, don’t whine about how much tax he pays – I pay more in tax than my wife who is a teacher earns before she pays tax…
Ahhhh – That is the problem – You see, taxes only go to the Federal Government.. GST revenues on the other hand goes to the states and territories.
Therefore it is in the states and territories interest to charge wherever and whenever they can.
User pays!!
PS – It is also probably important for a parent to provide a stable environment for their child to transition into adulthood, this means not moving wherever and whenever during their late teen years.
Different states, different rules. I’m sure your son wasn’t that busy that he couldn’t complete the required amount of lessons to get his P’s in the time he was in one place.
…and we all pay a LOT of tax
Wait, in five years he has never had time to sit the test?
I’m sure it won’t kill him to hold onto his learner’s for 6 more months. He’s waited 4 years already.
Agree that Dickson motor registry (and their processes) is the 9th circle of hell – but you’ve lost me after that. If getting his licence was a priority then he should have found time in the last 4 years or so…
Step 1: your son is 20. He’s a big boy now, stop fighting his fights for him.
Step 2: not really sure what the tax thing has to do with it all. I pay a tonne of tax too.. it doesn’t make me more or less entitled than the next person.
Sucks, hey?
I was going to suggest that the ACT is the easiest one of the lot it seems tog et the licence, especially as he’s not 17.
I’d just suggest him sticking with a state address (you know “living with an aunt”) for a significant enough period to go for it in whichever state he wants. Not NSW> It’s not worth it!
Jim Jones said :
He’s 20 – how much could he really be paying at that age?
My taxes blah blah blah