Report on meeting with Victorian Green’s MP Tim Read

Hi everyone,

It has been frustrating that a party like the Greens, who should be supporting every measure to increase the uptake of cycling, have consistently supported mandatory bike helmet laws.

Members of Freestyle Cyclists, have, for many years, had no luck in persuading them to re-examine their Policy on MHL.

Tim Read of the Greens, was elected as the Member for Brunswick last November. He has displayed a willingness to consider evidence as a basis for Policy decisions, so I saw a possibility to shift the Green’s Policy on MHL. If this is possible, it is part of a long term strategy to apply pressure to other political parties.

Last Friday, Sundance Bilson-Thompson and Tom Sulston met with Tim to discuss the Green’s position. Here is a report of the meeting.

“We had a very useful meeting with Tim. After some discussion about bike infrastructure, safety on Sydney rd etc. we moved in to a discussion of helmet law matters.
We made it clear to him from the outset that we take issue with the laws, not helmets themselves. We covered the evidence for reductions in cycling participation (NT, failing bike share in Melbourne and Seattle etc.)
We also made the point that since it’s the laws that are a problem this is a justice issue (people being punished for doing something good), rather than a safety issue. He was able to see for himself the distinction between helmets and seat belts, and was receptive to the point that sunscreen is effective but we don’t make it mandatory (even though skin cancer is a bigger health issue than cycling injuries) so “effectiveness” isn’t a valid reason to make something a law.
As a former health researcher he was impressed with the data we presented on prevalence of cardiovascular disease and the scarcity of cycling injuries, and the effect of cycling at reducing strokes, heart attacks, and type 2 diabetes.
By the end of the meeting he said his faith in the merit if MHLs had been shaken, and advised us that we should go after some medical groups to get more backup for our cause. He said he was amenable to sending around a discussion one-pager email to other Greens members to raise the issue and see where we can take it from there. We concluded that as a target, the BN idea of a trial is quite achievable rather than trying to change policy. “
It remains to be seen whether this results in a significant statement from the Greens. It is more promising than any other meeting we have had with a Green MP.
Kathy
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