The Leader of the National Party, Warren Truss, has shown in recent statements that he is more interested in playing politics than reducing our nation’s road toll.
His claims that the Federal Government is planning to ban all mobile phone use in cars are just plain wrong.
Indeed, we have no legislative powers to do so even if we wanted to. Under our constitutional arrangements, road laws are wholly the responsibility of state and territory governments – something you would have thought Mr Truss, as a former Transport Minister, would have known.
The truth is the idea of further restricting the use of mobile phones is just one of many options being canvassed in the draft National Road Safety Strategy 2011–2020.
Released in December for the purpose of stimulating a national conversation about action on road safety, the document was written by officials from state and territory governments, including from the Liberal Government of Western Australia.
It is unfortunate that Mr Truss is attempting to hijack this healthy national debate with silly, misinformed and partisan comments. After all, preventing more road deaths should be above politics.
The draft National Road Safety Strategy 2011–2020 was open for public comment for a 12-week period until February 18, 2011, and received over 600 submissions.
The Hon Catherine King MP,
Parliamentary Secretary for Infrastructure and Transport
