August 24, 2003

DRIVER OF THE WEEK

This week’s prize was all set to go to Zsolt Baumgartner, Hungary's first Formula One driver, until notification was received of a stunning 164km/h (100mph) effort from the daughter of Australian foreign minister Alexander Downer. Way to drive, ex-Sunday school teacher!

Posted by Tim Blair at August 24, 2003 05:40 PM
Comments

Elephants never forget ...

Please, before damning Alexander Downer for the foolishness of his daughter (who was entitled to drive the car) bloggers should recall the car accident involving NT Labor Senator Trish Crossin's commonwealth car some time ago (which the driver was NOT at the time entitled to drive) which claimed the life of an innocent third party.

It appears Ms Downer was stupid (like we all are from time to time) and will learn an expensive and inconvenient six month lesson - end of story!

There is no politics in this (now if Dad had tried to get her off, this would have been different ...)

Posted by: The GOP Elephant at August 24, 2003 at 06:59 PM

Maybe she was on uppers.

Posted by: Dave F at August 25, 2003 at 07:50 PM

Just what is it with Liberals and speed limits? Jeff Kennett in Victoria, Joan Sheldon in Queensland ... Is this some kind of party race-memory of the fact that Menzies won in 1949 by campaigning against petrol-rationing?

Back in 1994-95, Les Murray attacked speed limits on libertarian grounds and said drivers should not be liable unless and until they actually killed someone. Paddy McGuinness contemptuously grunted something similar under his beard in the Oz'ian back in 1991.

In [partial] defence of the Crossin ComCar crash, I should note (as both Lesquarelli and Padraig P did, with relish) that the Northern Territory has no speed limits whatsoever outside its urban areas. The entire top end is a giant Autobahn for speeding purposes (and because it's full of sunburned Germans).

Posted by: Uncle Milk at August 25, 2003 at 10:21 PM