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Another Pollie Seeks Grumpy's Advice

I reckon Victoria's Opposition Leader, Doc Dennis Napthine has been reading this column - he's nicked my very own statements on speeding fines for himself.

Okay, he lacks the cool, calm and collected style that I easily carry around, but at least he's now getting good advice from those in the know ... like me!

Anyway, old Den reckons the new speed law of only allowing 3kph lee-way for speeding motorists is a tad harsh. Utter bollocks I called it, but hey, if he said that he'd be in serious bother.

Now, the promise from this politician (and I only point out the obvious so that you know, that I know, that you know, that I know, that this may never happen) is that he will take the tolerance level back up to its current reasonable level of 10% if he gets into power.

I know we should all be sticking to the speed limit - I have to in my pink Morris Minor - but the fact of the matter is that vehicle speedos are not accurate enough to give any more than a 10% either way. You could be tootling along at 60kph on the dial and yet you get zapped by a radar bandit doing 70kph. Tough! According to the new laws. Sounds like a wonderful chance for a smart lawyer to make a squillion!

And, old Den says police should be cracking down on hoons rather than "pick-pocketing Victorian motorists". Hear, hear, I shout!

Now while we are faithfully promised on the Bible, the Koran and the Torah that this ridiculously harsh - and probably legally indefensible - new 3kph lee-way is in no way a means to boosting state coffers, we all know that's just pure crap.

How about this.

In 1999-2000, according to the Vic opposition, our anorexic wallets had about $100million bucks ripped out of them courtesy of traffic fines. The expected amount we've been collectively stung for over 2001-2002 is $206 million.

Even the most cretinous low-life can see that these community-minded speed cameras are making a huge contribution to the state and those who continually deny it just come across as tossers who think they can bald-facedly lie to us and get away with it.

Get on the phone to your local MP and give them hell!

If there is something that has really got up your nose, let Grumpy Old Coot know at grumpy@webwombat.com