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Monday, November 23, 2015

The Nanny State Games

(Image: The Spectator)


A few people have asked me why I didn’t do a submission for the Nanny State Inquiry given that on the surface I must appear a most likely submission-writing candidate ... here's why:

I just cannot reconcile myself with Senator David Leyonhjelm's aversion to renewables nor his commitments to Big Tobacco and Big Guns … there plain and simple.

Sigh.

A libertarian I am not!

In fact in my view this 'parliamentary' theatre-sports exercise of David Leyonhjelm's is nothing more than a right-wing 'smoke & mirrors' ploy to herald in the relaxing of gun laws, the reversing of cigarette plain packaging laws ... oh and course most importantly of all ... to get Senator Leyonhjelm re-elected.

What a shame that this opportunity to discuss bicycle helmet law has been polluted by a numpty-politician planning to use the interest engendered as a sweetener for his particularly nasty winding-back of some of the good stuff Australian Parliaments have actually done.

Right now what we really need is a serious and complete overhaul of how we elect our senators - that this man may end up having the leverage to enact his libertarian shite is incomprehensively scary.

4 comments:

  1. Brava! It is very important for cycling, walkability and public transport activists to recall that we are NOT libertarians. Removing silly measures that unfairly and polntlessly target cyclists contributes to improving public health and safety. Quite the opposite of "freedom" for guns and tobacco.

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  2. That's fair enough Sue. I recently mentioned to a pro-MHL academic that the vast majority of people critical of the law were not libertarians who curled up in bed with a copy of Atlas Shrugged.

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