NSW Police Dangerous Driving Report

So I just emailed NSW Police Customer Assistance, with the following to say about an aggressive and dangerous driver. I didn't mention that I was passing a paddy wagon at the time, nor that I shouted 'Watch what you're f*cking doing' at the top of my lungs and was ignored by the cops standing only meters away.

My inquiry is this: Does the NSW Police website offer the facility to report dangerous driving, to make NSW roads safer? Because I (as a cyclist) was just (10:20 3/12/10) dangerously overtaken by the driver of a silver soft roader (Plate: BBE-75F), where the driver crossed double lines (Hampden Rd Artarmon) into oncoming traffic beside me then leaned on his horn. At the very least, this person deserves a pamphlet reminding him that cyclists are road users, not game to be hunted; the facility to report such incidents could potentially allow for making our roads safer for all road users.

And I heard back!

Michael

If you wish to make a report about the actions of another motorist you should attend a Police Station and make a formal statement setting out the details of the incident. The Police will then interview the registered owner of the vehicle and driver and take action as appropriate. Should the matter proceed to a court hearing, you, as the primary witness, will have to attend court and give evidence proving the offence.

Regards Jim
Customer Assistance Unit.

Marriage Equality

So, someone tweeted me a link reminding me to write to my local MPs on marriage equality. Here's a summary:

Dear Rob,

I know a lot of gay voters in the electorate.

You're a reasonable guy, you probably recognise that the majority of the population supports gay marriage.

It's one more step to removing state sponsored discrimination, which will eventually help to reduce homophobia. That means that students at schools in rural Australia won't have to deal with the same level of consistent abuse as the gay students I knew at Chatham High.

I hope we can all count on you to push for marriage equality.

Yours sincerely,
Michael Kelly

I sent one to Joe Hockey also, but using some more flavored language, as he was recently reported making some unsavoury remarks about gays in the media.

Congratulations, and...

Unable to stand idly by in such an exciting time for Australia, I penned an email to my local member and (now) political power broker Independent Rob Oakeshott about this momentous moment, and who deserves to be granted supply.

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Rob Oakeshott,

Like so many others, I want to congratulate you on your phenomenal win this election, deservingly retaining our electorate; and particularly showing that independents are indeed a powerful force in Australian democracy.

I want to remind you that many like myself are inspired by your leadership, and are looking forward to seeing you represent us in a progressive way.

You know only too well the limitations of the telecommunications network in our area. It's a massive issue around the nation, especially in regional Australia. Around the Manning area, we still have people who can't access ADSL, let alone broadband. These people are still on dial-up, it shows clearly how regional Australia has been ignored and left behind. So many regional Australians have been told that wireless can meet their needs, been duped, and left out of pocket with wireless hardware that is just as slow as dial-up, at several times the price.

We know that the Liberal government's half baked approach to the digital economy will echo Telstra's approach: promising solutions, implementing technology that's doomed to fail, and ignoring the end users pleas and frustration when they are left with a hopeless connection. It is this sort of failed policy on the digital future which will continue to drain the youth out of the regions of Australia, weakening areas like the Manning.

Having been schooled in the area, and having a passion for public education, I am still involved with both of my old schools (Crowdy Head Public and Chatham High) and their students. My dad lives in Crowdy Head, and teaches at several primary schools around the region. He bemoans the lack of permanent facilities; and like so many he is elated at the Education Revolution's construction of permanent classroom facilities. I am naturally cynical toward initiatives that involve the Dept. of Educ and Training, but I can honestly say I was overwhelmingly impressed by the implementation of the laptop per child program. These initiatives have made me all the more excited about becoming a rural/regional public school teacher, in the hope that I will be teaching in a system that is properly funded, and respects the role of the internet in the future of education; made possible my a traditionally egalitarian Rudd/Gillard government.

On the other side of politics, we have a sexist, homophobic racist. An international embarrassment.

The next few years promise to be a fascinating ride, we all look forward to watching on as you and your fellow independents exercise a powerful voice in Australian democracy on behalf of regional Australia and the country at large. I strongly hope that you will vote for the less shameful side of government on supply, such that we needn't be ashamed of our PM, our digital future, or our education system. Equally, I look forward to seeing the government held accountable for every decision they make from here on, by a truly independent balance of power in the House of Representatives.

Regards,
Michael Kelly

Lyne Constituent

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Oakshott's website and email.

Images from Focus Mag and Oakeshott's website respectively.