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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1999 Week 3 Hansard (23 March) . . Page.. 664 ..

MR HARGREAVES (continuing):

The power-to-weight ratio is another question. I must admit to having less commitment to this than to the arbitrary 250-cc motorcycle, but I take the point from the MTA that it would be dangerous and irresponsible if we placed a large person on a small bike with limited power, because there is the question of control. If anybody has seen a gentleman, or lady for that matter, of 17 stone sitting upon a 150-cc motorcycle, you can imagine for yourself the lack of control that exists there.

Mr Speaker, there is another aspect to this too, and that is that people do not want necessarily a road bike that has got a 250-cc motor. What they want is something a little bigger. We have moved on. When I was first introduced to motorcycle riding the 250-cc motorcycle was a large bike. It is not any more. It is a small one. Indeed, people want to be riding around the town on 500-cc, 600-cc and 1,000-cc bikes. What will happen if we introduce this arbitrary 250-cc thing is that people are going to buy them and sell them as soon as their two years are up. Nobody is going to maintain them. That is not their aim. It is just a temporary bike. I am concerned that the bikes will have limited maintenance given to them and that they will be quite unsafe.

Mr Speaker, when I was talking about this thing this morning the point was made to me that we can take a 17-year-old person who has never been behind the wheel of a motor car at all before, give them a learners permit, give them some tuition, give them their licence and then they go straight out and get themselves a V8 supercharged motor vehicle. They can then cram four or five other kids into it, tear off down the highway and blow themselves away and a family of two parents and a couple of little kiddies on the Hume Highway. What happens with motorcycles is that they very rarely result in multiple fatalities, and usually the maximum is two. Why has this Government not come down with similar sort of legislation to stop a kid, 17 years old, from having a supercharged motor car? Why do we not say, "If you are a learner driver with P plates you can only have a car with an 850-cc motor."? Because, Mr Speaker, that would be patently and blatantly ridiculous. I suggest to you, Mr Speaker, that this is so here. I have circulated an amendment in my name. May I move that now?

MR SPEAKER: No, not yet. We are still at the in-principle stage.

MR HARGREAVES: Well, would you let me know at a later time? I am in your hands.

MR SPEAKER: Yes, I will call you when the time comes.

MR HARGREAVES: I am foreshadowing this amendment. We are in support of most of this Bill. The amendment merely seeks to take out reference to 260 millilitres, or 250-cc in the old terminology, and also the power-to-weight ratio greater than 150 kilowatts per tonne. I must admit though that I do not know too many blokes who weigh a tonne who hop on motorcycles. There is a bloke who approaches it who lives in Conder, but, then again, he has a large motorcycle. Mr Speaker, I would urge the Government to support this amendment when it is moved. I will undertake, Mr Speaker, to hold up my hand and say I was wrong if I am proven to be so at a later stage. With those remarks I will conclude, Mr Speaker. I love speaking to an almost empty chamber.

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