The amount of money owed to government from outstanding fines has ballooned to $51 million, despite repeated efforts over the years to recoup the cash.

In 2022, the amount of outstanding fines totaled $45 million. Two years earlier, government announced a Community Service Pilot Program for people to work off outstanding fines, however the amount owed increased by $2 million between 2019 and 2022.

In 2022, the Department of Justice indicated that 80 per cent of people pay their fines voluntarily, while payment agreements were set up for others to make sure their fines were paid – still, the problem persists.

The province is now setting up traffic cams to nab more speeders, leading to the possibility of even more tickets and fines being issued.

Opposition questions government on outstanding fines

Opposition justice critic Helen Conway-Ottenheimer questioned Minister Andrew Parsons on what’s being done to address the matter.

Conway-Ottenheimer says “the Liberals have made many promises over the years to collect on this money, yet the problem has only got worse, I ask the minister why?”

Energy Minister Andrew Parsons rose to respond, admitting “it has been an issue, and it proves extremely difficult in order to find innovative solutions going forward. I don’t think any side can promise that, although we certainly made lots of efforts.”

Parsons says Fines Administration has received just under $10 million in the last year through 407 arrangements for payment.