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Correspondence between Kim Bax, mum, and Dorothy Pratt MP (Independent), Nanango - on the issue of seatbelts on school buses

This is Dorothy's response to Kim Bax's questions of 22nd January 2004 - received on the 3rd February 2004:- (TOP)

Sorry for the time it has taken me to reply to you. With the elections it has been go go go!
I passed your email onto Dorothy and she believes all new buses must have seat belts. The old buses she was told are not structurally equipped to support them.

Dorothy has request that she will write to you if you wish after the election and answer your question in more depth.

All the best - Kim (TOP)

4 weeks later, on the 2nd March, Kim Bax had still not heard back from Dorothy (in regard to the 3rd Feb email) - so she sent a reminder:- (TOP)

From Kim Bax - mum & school bus seatbelt campaigner, Beaudesert Shire.

Goodmorning Dorothy,

Four weeks ago to-day (3rd February 2004), I sent you an email. It can also be accessed via this link:-

http://www.geocities.com/seatbelts2004/nanango.htm

As of today, I have not (as yet), received any response from you. I look forward to hearing from you in the near future.

Regards - Kim Bax

PS - I will update the above link with this correspondence today. (TOP)

On the 8th March 2004, Dorothy wrote back:- (TOP)

Dear Kim

Thank you for your e-mail and you are right. It was four weeks ago since you posed your questions and four very long weeks at that! Following are my responses to your questions:-

Have I read the full text of Professor Joubert's letter? Yes.

Do you unequivocally support the FULL implementation of the recommendations .? Yes. May I suggest that you target the Beattie government who have the ability to make the changes you are calling for, instead of pursuing those who have already indicated that they believe all new buses need to have belts fitted?

In what practical ways do you (or have already) intend to support/advocate for the full .....? Those constituents within the electorate who have approached me with their concerns and support for seatbelts on all buses have not found me backward in taking those concerns to the parliament and the relevant Minister. To date, this office has not received one e-mail, letter, card or phone call with regards to this issue since you posted my earliest response to your e-mail and asked that they do so.

I hope this answers your queries adequately. As always, we will continue to wait on our constituents to bring their concerns to us and keep them informed of issues, which I feel they have a right to be.

Yours sincerely

Dorothy Pratt MLA
Independent Member for Nanango (TOP)

And on the 8th March, Kim Bax replied to Dorothy:- (TOP)

Dear Dorothy,

I was very pleased to get your response - you have more than answered my questions. This is much more than can be said of 97% of the Parliament. You're exceptional.

Perhaps, though, you have taken my correspondence a little too personally. I'm not "pursuing" you Dorothy - my questions of 22nd January 2004 were sent to EVERY member of the Parliament, and EVERY member of the Parliament is receiving reminder notices from me if I don't hear back from them after 4 weeks.

As for your comment, "I suggest that you target the Beattie Government," that's EXACTLY what I'm doing. Even a brief perusal of this link:-

http://www.geocities.com/seatbelts2005/correspondence.htm#email

will indicate that. Also, when another "mum" (Kim Limburg), and myself literally camped on Beattie's office door steps in the final week of the 2001 State election, I think I/we more than proved our ability - and determination - to "target the Beattie Government" on this issue.

As for posting your responses on this issue to the web, again, I am treating you no differently to any other Member. It is not a way of attacking you - in fact, if I was in your position, I would treat it as a golden opportunity to promote both my concern, and my intimate knowledge of the problem.

I am also very glad to hear that you have taken your constituents concerns in regard to seatbelts on school buses to the Parliament. Do have any further details about this? If you check out the front page of my site:-

http://www.geocities.com/seatbelts2005/

You'll see that I have posted supportive Parliamentary quotes from both Mike Horan MP and Warren Pitt MP. I gleaned these comments by typing "school bus" into the Parliamentary Hansard search engine for 2001, 2002, 2003 and 2004 - and then I checked out every link that came up.

If I had found supportive and/or questioning comments from yourself in the Hansard records (in regard to seatbelts on school buses), I would have (without a doubt), posted them to my webpage. Have I missed something? Please let me know - as I'm more than happy to promote your words.

Warmest regards - Kim

PS - as for your comment " . . . . . .who have the ability to make the changes," - we ALL have that "ability" Dorothy, the trick is believe it. Have you ever come across this famous quote from Margaret Mead (she's world renowned anthropologist):-

"Never doubt that a small, group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has." (TOP)