Darian replied:

Just two things:
1. Keating is obviously suffering from Gareth's Evans' ~ "relevance deprivation".2. In my view ACA rarely treat a subject with due consideration - they seem to me to be cheap, superficial and ultimately pay pointless attention to beat-ups.
Do yourself a favour...ignore Keating and ACA (and does anyone think that State or Fed governments will do anything to harm the 4WD vehicle industry and ALL the tourism plus accessories business those goes with that ?).
Can't recall ever hearing sensible discussion against 4WD vehicle use.

Alex replied:

I didn't see ACA, but I read a report on the same subject in the paper the next day. It seems to me that what Keating objects to is the use of big 4wds as urban family taxis, and the effect they may have on small cars due to their greater mass in an accident (fuel consumption is a complete furfy, I get better consumption in my defender than I did in my old laser). However, taxing them out of existence will make any travel outside major cities a liability, as a 4wd will withstand a roo strike far better than any small car, not to mention going off the bitumen. For someone who's lived most of his life outside the city, being without a 4wd and the means to go remote camping is complete anthema to me. A far better solution for Keatings Accident Theory would be to make 4wds compulsory for all (along with appropriate driver training).
As a final thought, don't worry about this happening, as Keating is pretty much irrelevant now, and is just seeking to recover former glories by being controversial and sensationalist. Cheers, Alex.

Paul Kleating replied:

I'm sorry Its the Regression I had o have...oink oink..tick tock tick tock

Does anyone no what time it is........6 o'clock......OK porky move over, its time to go to bed.

P.K.

Rod replied:

Make you wonder why his wife left him. Probably taxed her out of existance

Mark Bennett replied:

Mr. Keating forgot to tell everybody that he owns more than one four wheel drive, but thats o.k because he IS Paul Keating!

old soldier replied:

Whos Paul Keating???

Stan replied:

Wouldn't it be good to get somebody toatally independent to look at all the crash statistics and then publish them. But all the bleeding hearts wouldn't like that, because I'd bet my last dollar when you looked at the overall percentages, the amount of 4WD's causing, or involved in accidents would be quite low. The other one they use is the "Running over the Child" scenario. I reckon I have seen more of these type incidents on TV involving normal sedans, etc. Isn't it a shame that these high profile people waste this valuable media time on stuff they obviously know nothing about, when they could be using it to raise awareness, or funding for things like childrens diseases, etc.

Member - Trevor replied:

As Old Soldier said "who is Paul Keating?" so why worry about anything he says or even said in the past. As they have said "Bankstown Boys don't cry" - they just keep bleeting! I thought in a free country I was able to drive whatever vehicle I could afford or want to. If I drove a Rolls or a Porsche Paul would be happy? As it is I drive a Courier and the Cook drives the daughter's Laser. If I need to go to the big smoke I take the 4WD to fit everyone and their junk in. Maybe if Paul would put a Pox on those who do not let their tyres down in the sand and on dirt roads roads I would support him!

Captain replied:

Keating was a pox on Australia, beats me why the press listen to his mumblings except to stir controversy

winaje replied:

Graffiti on a wall many years ago: (Bob) Squawk and (Paul) Cheating. Says it all really. Bill Church

Ray replied:

I think u have to look at this realistically.
60 percent of respondants to Sevens Sunrise poll agreed, so 4wd owners generally must be antagonising the general city community and along with the bullbar controvesry i don't think we should stick our heads in the sand.
Whilst i love my 4wd Prado i don't think anyone really likes to drive them in city traffic. personally i would prefer anyday to drive my son in laws commodore for both comfort, ease of driving, size and fuel economy.
many people own 4wds for varying reasons including offroading, soft and hardcore, towing, beach pleasure, carrying the family and outback travelling as well as the obvious purpose of country work. Therfore it seems that part of the problem is that some owners aren't by their behavior advancing the cause of our pleasure of ownership. I know we all can't afford 2 cars and therefore have to drive our 4wds in the city as well but really they are not the most efficient for this task.
please think about it guys especially the behavior bit?
cheers Ray

Tony H replied:

I believe that Mr.Keating made the comment that "If I was still in power I would tax them out of existance".

I thought he had already tried to tax us out of existance :-)

John replied:

Actually, I find the whole thing a bit taxing............................................
Someone wake me up when commonsense prevails.....
zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
John

PS. My father and many like him fought to prevent D#%$ heads like this from dictating to people like us.
It still is a free country last time I checked......if I want to drive a 4x4, or a Garbage Compactor for that matter,......its my chioce.

Member - Des replied:

John....A garbage compactor!!??..and in the vicinity of Paul Keating... now THAT has possibilities. He should have stuck to pig farming. but the RSPCA (god bless em), did the right thing and kept the pigs away from him, cruelty and all that. So now the pigs are running free in Canberra, and Paul still wonders why he is on his own.

Troy replied:

This seems to be a very hot topic. The last time I checked, we lived in a democracy, so we should be all free to drive whatever we like. I noted that in one of the recent Sydney papers, the was an article in which one driver was complaining about 4wd's becasue of the damage the was caused when she ran into it! Unbelievable!! One thing that really should be looked at more closely is the licencing required to drive one. They are generally bigger vehicles that require a few more additional skills to operate sucessfully. Some of the lunatics that fly around the suburbs with loads of kids in the back seats, or the invincibility mantra of a "Baby On Board" sign in the rear window may take note. As for Mr. Keating, I believe that Anita had the best idea.