Page 780 - Week 03 - Wednesday, 29 March 2006
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Mr Speaker, I should address my comments through you; I apologise. But that is exactly what this motion is about: it is about shared responsibility on the roads. We do all need to take responsibility for our actions when we are driving. That does not mean being holier than thou or berating people or hitting people over the head. It is saying, “When you get behind the wheel of your car, be careful”—and that applies to me just as much as to anybody else in this place or outside of this place.
Mr Mulcahy also interjected at one point, “What is the TWU’s position on drugs and alcohol in relation to driving and their membership?” Well, I am sure you, Mr Speaker, would be aware that the TWU have run a number of campaigns continuously saying that their members and everybody should not be taking alcohol or drugs and that they do have very serious implications in these people’s jobs.
The other thing that I just want to mention is that I noted that Mr Mulcahy went on for about three minutes or more about Ford, reading from the Ford manual, and about how manufacturers have a responsibility. There is just one thing I would like to say about that: the last time I checked, no cars had ever been manufactured within the ACT. So the ACT government do not have any influence over car manufacturers. We have no car manufacturers in the ACT. I understand Mr Mulcahy may be a bit frustrated about that, but maybe he should write to his federal member and ask them to take a letter of representation to the minister about vehicle speeds and what speeds vehicles can get up to.
I will just finish by saying that I commend this motion. I am getting to the point where I am close to being tired of my talking about this, but it is about shared responsibility and it is raised today, before the Easter break, to say to people: “Please take care of yourselves and take care of the people around you. Go easy behind the wheel, take the breaks that you need. Don’t drink and don’t take drugs when you are going to drive.”
Motion agreed to.
Bushfires–threat to urban edge
Debate resumed from 15 February 2006, on motion by Mr Pratt:
That this Assembly, in light of the Yarralumla Brickworks grass fire of December 2005 and the state of the grass bushfire fuel threat that exists along the urban edge and in Canberra nature parks adjacent to the urban edge:
(1) notes:
(a) and congratulates the Emergency Services and Police in their quick response and good work to save further property from loss during the Yarralumla bushfire; and
(b) the Government’s preparations against bushfire threat but notes those preparations are still far from adequate leaving many suburbs at increased vulnerability to bushfire threat; and
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