Racers see light turn red; ACT turns green

Common sense got a chequered flag when the Boy Racer Bill was passed in Parliament last night, but with no thanks to the ACT-Greens coalition, United Future law and order spokesman Marc Alexander says.

The Land Transport (Street and Illegal Drag Racing) Bill will see tougher penalties and vehicle confiscations for "thugs on wheels", Mr Alexander said, "and it couldn't come soon enough!"

United Future backed the member's bill moved by Labour's Clayton Cosgrove, and played a substantial role in strengthening it in the select committee process.

"But what is really amazing was watching ACT and the Greens join forces in opposing it," Mr Alexander said.

"Apparently they both want to protect individual rights - the rights of youths to intimidate, terrorise and generally prove a danger to the rest of law-abiding society.

"The Greens, predictably, opposed the Bill on the grounds of Bill of Rights issues. The real question though, is whose rights? What about the rights of communities to be free of noise, vandalism and burnouts? What about the rights of innocent motorists and the parents of those who die on our streets?" "Such muddled thinking is to be expected from the Greens, but ACT? The party that supposedly prides itself in standing up for law and order?

"The poor things, they just don't know whose rights to back. They've obviously got the pipi, and if I could only find their office I'd complain!" Mr Alexander said.

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