(Photos: Carolyn Curnow, Canberra, & yours truly)![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTblBNgF3L_VFDRcdKBAdRmjbWfxD0ohywhsv-pNprDrnYPo8jPZOmryA76qXSRM5j0G_yCO4uSNdfu6XNJN7Lmo4yHmSzVIO-wcUmrtotj9EGiUV9Sr0or7l7VaSHOnQrY8oehzSlF7Q/s400/Punk+commute+and+fed+parl.jpg)
Perfect! Perfect! Perfect!
The Canberra Punk Commute couldn't have been a more perfect boutique protest ...& the weather couldn't have been more clement...
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFB0xqmyLSyqEjjwzuAypP781z4S15gE_ljx-vqAvOyOGTSIpdfpHq6rYpS-Bmtci7xgTwMHpZhI6squHx1R8nLNpM7LKsS09k5iA6F07ZugXoD-IatI3DftqX3kM2w61BVaDt75s6yuA/s400/tiptoe+thro+the+tulips.jpg)
...and who can ever resist 'tiptoeing through the tulips?' - certainly not us as we did a quick little detour prior to our Legislative Assembly rendez-vous
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9kmIbrSDABWNlNvP16e9OU0x9wZd4Z__RJsg3wQ80p3DYw4_hZGwlyyGXx8Jon3sTC7xX6lV9XCGMQrxoYZhyuoZ5Q_U6KXvczLXddBav0UbzPliTyNRvwkG-VVS0oqM1b4DHy_HOt_o/s400/Bill+et+moi.jpg)
Always a pleasure to be with one of cycling's greats - Bill Curnow, the indefatigable president of the
Cyclists Rights Action Group
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR9ouZ3ZEX44riAhMSTsOwKP4kqxFTu1PRrKpHb-Bsxrrg9SpFwIhc9LVLRokqnOHbZGSgb6MtngVPNLC12Ssc8ov56J6WyAGlhWWTYDFST_CCQ3jkDIplr4m_fEBi5fIxjdLjVNL2fXg/s400/053.JPG)
...& wonderful opportunity for some of the far & wide CRAG members to meet face-to-face,...
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaOzRF8a6TynbNfEGrnnitkptVgAr-U_PxwpQfCt3AnCEDDLkjyJf0lAvyfrpf7snJA8xOFwYZdrFq43mGhyphenhyphenTlaM13uSzBHD8dInOKiPL7HLetLNC4DdlcGxOtY45qYzkx8Slflywm22c/s400/tactics.jpg)
...share campaign stories...
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_RwT361U9rVWRm5YKIzkes8fxF5Ywej7AERy0cdBbdffGJ3PeAOS-u9UVow5NDP-ywtewYofJoefebYjlhz3E-VnBurATdtmOptNmeUX7XdNDlvxz9aZzhoqDLgZzYT9vK6DkNJmMEME/s400/067.JPG)
...& thoroughly enjoy each other's company
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR0tFJFyWKnq32SqWnYeD8IFapsud8WUt8Ws_XWh6h8KQcC_lERqhRxwkosjpQAD_0hjKOUPOhcnD-MpRsNpKWGuHtJMpbUeWu4rX5uheYOfIpv20vUK7nOe3QxCIkot9uxA-8uxU0-yc/s400/071.JPG)
Good to meet The
Hon. John Hargreaves (the 'yellow-enveloped-suited-guy') who made a supreme effort to do so despite back-to-back meetings - always useful to have 'a' moment with those who change the law!!!
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirL15uL8J_EFlk7KVSbOKl737BNs1DloITVKygknX0FxYnoES8EBUDAvrTYYoEWc-hzGlojBMuH1I7ZTmEZWO3T0m2_gCc_x1eYENY3ZwqQd4IHDLJcaVpHsMPuwxwX1cAzpadLZKCIGI/s400/megaphone+mania.jpg)
And so the speeches began...
$$$ it's not lost on us that we're the 'counter-culture' ones, eschewing our cars when possible & using our bikes for transport instead
$$$ helmet safety claims are unsubstantiated, misleading, deceptive, inaccurate, non-specific, not in the public interest
$$$ twenty years on & the world continues to shy away from enacting equivalent catastrophic legislation
...by now we had been joined by the Speaker of the House, The
Hon. Shane Rattenbury![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxrPMU8itT1zSyMeV7UrKj3MOfKOCyLa7ruX1LMKlHhB70Dkncz_VEBJz4oR4TtCEIS9RPT1e9QxiVjBpuEFG5dhMvVxoyGvfIC6D9v3F1l9-Yda4XWCLLDU__qXUv9WQcIlHeML03wKM/s400/086.JPG)
...who generously addressed us publicly with tales of:
* his 5 years in the Netherlands using a bicycle for transport in a typically unhelmeted Dutch manner
* the Greens commitment to sustainable transport
* their interest in the helmet law debate and their willingness to consider all arguments
...he then very generously made himself available for us to chat to individually, & at length - good stuff!!!
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisuJ7G6iph6ZU3iDktsvrAnAzo1LI9rD2spAmeMsZi304X8iU66aMoSIbTpjvT9sZK9_mp43gLz9DMcsrNZgCXnda6oH8ix-kYla_cO6hKJzncpNEVycQWCPh_tl7_Ju6As57OQHcBqgA/s400/094.JPG)
Bill's 'seasoned' campaign placard:
'WHEN INJUSTICE BECOMES LAW
RESISTANCE BECOMES DUTY'![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8K2uFtrM6ZaZfZSF6afEBQaGMCAjgusF7tGusHDsVGZFrAbII0aNnAsEq8qxRQc1G58pPhzv3zdCnPZ4K5pdmb_d1FytSUfFO4mbHWbInCTo2iFuqfpJ4huoVU8AevavzXIMDyFqgXO8/s400/114.JPG)
Australian Capital Territory (ACT) motor-bike police...
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYwAbI8aXP9yEy_2scTXn720U1ighGmjVK8OCO7sK-OOfUD1vAEbU2mUsz5XnzUwzXA4YAcbsrXpZaBMQCQP_eiMvtt1amt_5ok1cfhWhpT4CMp4ZZvaIhJ4FEIEMDOjkkdInzuz1k-Jw/s400/115.JPG)
...just checking our intended route to the big PH
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6JqBUMOyx-lwxTrfD236hECevIqz5k5S-s_YSaar3tYitiwlohLgpf2nSMlbky_ahfhTKUojqdmcZegLjWMp4Au1PPBQwhu1BGgY_4wEu9smzje9DIKd8RPzlcYH-TFRgtLCzsH-GNck/s400/116.JPG)
Getting there Ottawa style - coolly & stylishly
"Look, mum!!! We made it!!!!"![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLOW98Xh2uTGFNSWC9T9zGAsSNbg5_Bare26inKAe_s-x00EAk4vX_xiuUydNmn02H_b6T-z5_yXV1NOh6h3_U4_BQ19bcJyVGWl83dYnJDcwfcMxkfFXebi5a7ZYmoV8SvA9cwwh4ydg/s400/Fed+police+at+Fed+parl.jpg)
Australian Federal Bicycle Police just checking who we are - anybody????
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7Pz0S0MvJuIVRZG08NlZRrC8wUY1nQ7pAkLf1MpAzgsz34wv76b_VWw_DYMVvbjcxymSHlEn6g_qpNU5360-V5vu8oA8JlRFxKg1Rxu4uTOQ3lnlvw8tfl_lKEs3bFloiJiZksWxOKzU/s400/170.JPG)
And when the member for Hunter was a no-show, The Magnificent James Grieve delivered a most marvellous dissertation on Hunter Reds anyway!!
Adieu until next time! - dispersing by bicycle...
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPCJYj40lTIBcgLg5SChE9ZnDU0YHot8ZSCKvZwT-9QwL_yGT0r1_8rTZMmyF46T2v9ON016_NH3HQCZJ4LDjXD3lbxntq_ctStDw3Vb-GKxaCIopGgWSXIThwj7xe34fkJ29WrlpxwdU/s400/181.JPG)
...& by bus!!!!
Next stop:
ADELAIDE!!!! - funtimes!!!