Police catch 42 speeding MPs

[Casper]

Get the feeling that if our so called leaders are unable to stay within their own laws, we have got no chance?
Revenue, they just love the revenue.


Police catch 42 speeding MPs
Tanya Giles
16mar05
"Herald sun"
http://www.heraldsun.news.com.au/com...55E661,00.html

SCORES of lead-footed MPs – including Police Minister Tim Holding – have been caught flouting road rules. One drove up to 35km/h over the limit. Hirsh Disgraced

After pouring millions of taxpayers' dollars into campaigns urging drivers to slow down and save lives, state politicians were issued with 42 speeding fines last year.
This is the equivalent to one fine for every three MPs.

Documents obtained by the Herald Sun also reveal MPs had 50 accidents in their Government cars in 2003-04, costing a record $36,000 of taxpayers' money in insurance excesses.

Mr Holding was caught driving less than 10km/h over the speed limit in his Government car when he was Minister for Manufacturing and Export.

In the worst case, an MP's car was clocked travelling at 95km/h in a 60km/h zone along Lower Heidelberg Rd, Heidelberg.

The driver was fined $271, suspended for a month and incurred four demerit points.

Cars operated by another four MPs were caught between 15km/h and 25km/h over the speed limit.

Privacy laws prevent the Herald Sun obtaining the identities of MPs who broke road rules in their taxpayer-funded cars in 2003-04.

But several MPs, in response to Herald Sun questions, yesterday admitted they had broken the law and apologised. Others chose to remain anonymous.

Documents obtained under Freedom of Information laws reveal 111 speeding, parking, tollway and other fines were handed out to Government and Opposition MPs last financial year.

The speeding, parking and tollway fines were imposed on the MPs or nominated drivers of their vehicles, but privacy laws prevent disclosure of the MPs involved.

Among the more serious offenders were four MPs whose cars were detected travelling at more than 15km/h, but less than 25km/h, over the limit in the suburbs of Cranbourne North, Taylors Lake and twice on the Monash Freeway.

One of the fines was issued after an MP's car was caught doing 99km/h in a 80km/h zone in the Burnley Tunnel.

One MP was detected speeding twice in 21 minutes on the same stretch of road in Keilor Downs.

The car was doing 61km/h in a 50km/h zone at 11.06am on Copernicus Way and then 57km/h at 11.27am on the same road. The driver was fined a total $333 and incurred four demerit points.

Premier Steve Bracks said speeding was as socially unacceptable as drink-driving and contributed to the road toll.

Opposition Leader Robert Doyle said he expected his MPs to obey road rules. "But just as the public make mistakes from time to time, so do members of Parliament."

Mr Holding, who was fined $125 and incurred one demerit point for his speeding offence, implored road users to obey the speed limit.

"Small reductions in speed significantly reduces trauma caused as a result of a collision. It's simple physics – the faster you drive, the faster you hit," he said.

Labor MP Tammy Lobato, who was caught driving between 15km/h and 25km/h over the limit in her taxpayer-funded car, said she regretted exceeding the limit.

Ms Lobato received a fine of $205 and incurred three demerit points for the driving offence.

"I do, of course, regret exceeding the speed limit, as I am very aware of the dangers relating to speeding on our roads. Members of Parliament are not above the law," she said.

Other MPs said while they had not received any speeding fines in the 2003-04 year, they had in the past and had learned from their mistakes.

Other fines handed out to MPs included $3488.20 in parking fines, most of which were overdue and incurred extra expenses, and $1420 in tollway fines.

Police also fined a male driver in an MP's car after he tossed a lit cigarette butt from the car on to Lygon St, Carlton.

In the 50 accidents involving MPs' cars, they were found to be at fault eight times and had to pay $5924.40 out of their own pockets to cover insurance costs for their car.

The most spectacular crash was caused by Liberal MP Andrew Olexander, who smashed into several parked cars while allegedly drink-driving in July last year.

Other MPs had minor bingles and dented and scraped their cars after long hours in Parliament.

Transport Minister Peter Batchelor said yesterday he had been fined once for driving just over the speed limit and regretted the incident.

Police yesterday declined to comment on MPs' driving.