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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1997 Week 13 Hansard (4 December) . . Page.. 4676 ..

APPENDIX 5: Incorporated in Hansard on 4 December 1997 at page 4563

CURNOW AND THE STANDING COMMITTEE ON

ADMINISTRATION AND PROCEDURE PURSUANT TO PARAGRAPH

(7)(b) OF THE RESOLUTION OF THE ASSEMBLY OF 4 MAY 1995

Background

I seek redress for comments made by Mr Whitecross MLA concerning actions I took and statements I made on behalf of Cyclists' Rights Action Group. The comments occurred in a debate in the Assembly on 8 May 1997 on a motion by Mr Michael Moore MLA to refer the matter of compulsory wearing of bicycle helmets to the Standing Committee on Social Policy (Hansard reference pages 1114-1127). At page 1123, Mr Whitecross said that he, like other members of the Assembly, had been receiving representations in relation to the compulsory wearing of cycle helmets. He went on to make statements, some of which I quote below, for which I seek redress.

I am the person who made the representations, in my capacity as president of Cyclists' Rights Action Group. Since its formation in 1992, CRAG has been campaigning against the compulsory wearing of bicycle helmets. In the course of this campaign, I have met with and written to ministers and other MLAs, appeared on television, broadcast on radio and published letters in the press. As a result, I think I am well known as an opponent of the helmets law.

I was involved in consultations with Mr Michael Moore MLA that culminated in his, motion of 8 May 1997 - Hansard, page 1114.

COMMENTS

I first draw attention to Mr Whitecross's statement on page 1123, as follows:

"I have maintained a consistent position with the lobbyists on this issue, which is that it has been considered, the decisions have been made, and if they want it revisited the onus is on them to produce evidence that there is a problem with the existing law; that there is some danger posed by the wearing of cycle helmets. Mr Speaker, they have consistently failed to produce that evidence."

Any MLA or other person following the debate would, I submit, identify "the Lobbyists" with CRAG, and myself in particular: Mr Whitecross named CRAG in his next paragraph, see below, and Mr Kaine had named me earlier in the debate.¹

I had, in fact, provided to Mr Whitecross much evidence of the kind he specified:

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¹ Hansard, page 1119. third paragraph and page 1120, first paragraph

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