Media Release | 9 September 2026
Hon. Julie Freeman MLC
Shadow Minister for Road Safety
Shadow Minister for Road Safety Hon Julie Freeman MLC has today questioned the Minister for Police on whether WA Police have the resources to prosecute the growing number of disputed fines generated by the Cook Labor Government’s AI road safety camera rollout.
Ms Freeman said the decision by police prosecutors to abandon hundreds of cases because there was “no reasonable prospect” of securing a conviction raises serious questions about the Government’s management of the program.
“Today I asked the Minister to explain how many AI camera infringements have been withdrawn after motorists challenged them in court, why prosecutors concluded some cases had no reasonable prospect of conviction, what evidentiary flaws were identified, and what safeguards are now in place to stop unsupported infringements being issued in the future.
“The Minister’s response, or lack of, was very concerning. I asked a straightforward question about how many of these matters are being abandoned, yet the Minister says an answer cannot be provided because of ‘… the complexity of the question’.
“If the Government cannot provide basic information about how many cases are being withdrawn and why, how can Western Australians have confidence in this system?” Ms Freeman said.
WA Police are already under significant pressure, and this is another indication of the demands being placed on an already stretched Police Force.
“The Cook Labor Government must ensure road users are not paying the price for an enforcement system that places additional pressure on police and court resources.
“If police prosecutors are deciding these matters cannot be successfully prosecuted, motorists are entitled to ask why the fines were issued in the first place. And if these fines cannot stand up in court, what does the Government say to the thousands of Western Australians who simply paid up rather than challenge them?
“Those motorists followed the rules, paid their fine and accepted the consequences. Now they are watching others having identical fines withdrawn. That’s a serious question of fairness the Government cannot ignore.”
The latest revelations add to mounting scrutiny of the Cook Labor Government’s AI road safety camera program. In April 2026, authorities confirmed that about 2,000 seatbelt infringements worth more than $1.1 million had been withdrawn within six months of the cameras being introduced, with most appeals succeeding. During that period, more than 53,000 seatbelt infringement notices were issued.
A significant number of withdrawn fines involved claims that passengers, including children and people with disabilities, were not wearing seatbelts correctly. Critics described the appeals process as lengthy and burdensome, arguing it placed an unfair strain on motorists seeking to overturn disputed infringements.
“These cameras were sold as a road safety solution, but thousands of overturned fines and hundreds of abandoned prosecutions tell a different story. Western Australians deserve a system that is fair, accurate and focused on saving lives, not one that leaves motorists and taxpayers paying the price for Government failures.”
ENDS
