Aust, NZ consider Big Brother speed control

[Anonymous]

#2351

The following is the most dangerous thing for our freedom of rights other then our Government taking away our freedom of speech for election year. I posted this 2 years ago about the Aust government testing Fords for speed control. Contact you MP and ask what there feeling is on the oppressive new law. Don’t be fool it will come unless we stop it now. Dean The Victorian and Queensland governments are evaluating a device that can automatically slow a speeding car using satellite technology.The Australasian Intelligent Speed Adaptation initiative could be trialled in Victoria, the Herald Sun reported today.Victoria Police Chief Commissioner Christine Nixon, several Victorian ministers, a former Victorian coroner and 45 other participants would be the first to try the speed reduction system, the report said.All states and territory governments and the New Zealand government have been in talks to introduce of the system.Other trials are planned this year in NSW and Western Australia, the report said.The technology uses GPS and a database that identifies speed limits on all roads and operates on three levels.Drivers get an audible warning they are over the limit at level one.At level two, the device cuts power to the engine to prevent the driver from speeding, but the system can be adjusted or overridden.At level three, the system cannot be switched off or adjusted and all speeding is cut.The device could be fitted to repeat speeding offenders, or to all vehicles.A spokeswoman for Roads Minister Tim Pallas would not confirm any trial, but Queensland Transport Minister John Mickel said his government was involved in the talks."Technology is evolving all the time with these things, and my view with road safety is to see what the latest technology is and see if we can improve safety.Queensland Transport vehicle safety consultant Michael Paine said the system could cut the number of serious accidents by 20 per cent.The Herald Sun quoted an unnamed Victorian government website, which estimated the number of fatalities could be cut by almost 60 per cent if it was fitted to all cars.The system would cost between $A700 and $A2000 per vehicle and would first be fitted to fleet cars, the Herald Sun said.

[Murray]

#8951

And still, in the two years since you first wrote of this nothing has happened around speed control other than some tinkering with demerit points and fines. There are better things to do than dramatise this sort of crap. Do you even know what the Electoral Finance Bill was passed for? Here's a hint – it had nothing to do with takling away your freedom of speech. I'll concede that there were some sections of the Bill, as originally drafted, that were blatantly undemocratic. Nearly every submitter who did something useful (rather than walking up and down Queen Street with a poster and a piece of masking tape over their mouth) criticised these parts, including the drafting of third-party rules that appeared to restrict normal political speech. As a consequence, under the democratic process through which legislation gets passed in this country, the bill that was returned to Parliament in a substantially rewritten form. Leaving aside the nitpicking, the flaws were fixed but the rethoric around the bill has, if nothing else, shown the importantance of being able to recognise when people are playing politics.

[Anonymous]

#8952

You may feel it is crap this is your view. It has taken only two years for the speed control to come from a test to now Government departments talking about using the technology. We will see where this goes in the next two years.It is great to see people taking some interest "and playing politics" other wise the changes would not have been made to the bill and yes I don't know what the fine tuning was with the final bill or even if the bill will work due to it being rushed through. Some people playing politics will challenge the bill in court.

[Anonymous]

#8953

Gary, ref the Electoral Finance Bill, it is so pleasing to see someone state common sense on this subject of mass hysteria (dare we even mention Tuhoe and terrorism without provoking an ill-informed riot?)Ref remote speed control, this is sometimes used in the heavy transport industry already in this country. Most of the operators and their drivers like it. Sure, it is used as an economic measure, and not satellite controlled, but it is a proven technology, the only addition proposed is an enforcement finger on the remote, and I for one say bring it on. (At least until you can crush their cars at roadside immediately after they are apprehended for their first offence.)Five months after the librarian was hit, she is still in pain, still cannot walk without crutches, and I am still off work looking after her. I am furious my wife has been put through her ordeal. Remote control for dickheads looks BRILLIANT to me.

[Murray]

#8954

You may feel it is crap this is your view.

It's not the subject - my point was it's the typical sensationalism and rethoric like "the most dangerous thing for our freedom of rights" & "taking away our freedom of speech" that comes along with it that I view as crap. There are more productive things to do than dramatise and equate this to things like the Electoral Finance Bill.

Remote control for dickheads looks BRILLIANT to me.

True - but you'd think anything like this would need to apply to everyone and you'd have to find someone responsible enough to push the button, so don't hold your breathe that it'll happen all that soon. You may have a better shot at convincing Harry to take on the idea of roadside crushing though  😀   

[Anonymous]

#8955

My last words on this subject at this stage, but it will not be my last on other issues that catch my eye.Every new law is one less freedom we had and one step closer to state control. "Sensationalism and rhetoric"  😀Millionaire in campaign against 'Soviet' lawPage 1 of 2 View as a single page 5:00AM Friday January 11, 2008By Claire Trevett  Michael Horton. Photo / Herald on SundayDemocracy under attackPolitical party websites side-step election laws Editorial: Absurdity of vigilance already felt Auckland millionaire and former Herald publisher Michael Horton has applied to register as a "third party" so he can campaign against new electoral laws that he says leave free speech in an election year to be decided by a "Soviet Union-style commissar".Mr Horton, 70, has applied to the Electoral Commission to be listed as a third party, which will allow him to spend up to $120,000 on his plans to campaign for the repeal of controversial new electoral laws.Mr Horton was managing director of Wilson & Horton when the family-controlled company owned the Herald prior to 1996. His son, Matthew Horton, who owns Horton Media, will be his financial agent.Mr Horton said he had previously donated to the National Party and was associated with the party at grass-roots level in Epsom.However, he was prompted into more direct political activism for 2008 by the new Electoral Finance Act, which he said was the "nationalisation of free speech"."The act requires someone at some stage to have to censor speech and expressed opinion, because they decide whether something is political or it isn't," he said.Advertisement"We are going to have a bit of a Soviet Union-style political commissar, an institution sitting there judging whether something is political or not. Do we really want to be having an official Government censor who for one year decides what is acceptable and what is not?"The law, which was passed last month, allows third parties to spend up to $120,000 on "election advertising" in an election year, and to register if spending more than $12,000.Mr Horton said he had not yet developed a plan for his $120,000 campaign, but it was unlikely to be an attack on any political party, although he said Labour had "taken collective leave of its senses over this issue"."I live in harmony with both parties. What I'm against is the act. I think the act must be repealed, so whoever promises that, I suppose, will be worthy of my support."Mr Horton is the third person to apply to be a third party and is expecting criticism of his stance from those who support the law."I've been threatening the family I'm going to have an armband made. Instead of the Star of David, which the poor Jews had to wear, I'm going to have a little armband which says, 'Registered third party'."While some of the law's opponents, such as Invercargill Mayor Tim Shadbolt, have threatened to ignore or deliberately break the new law, Mr Horton did not intend to follow suit.

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