Omar Khalifa founded the Australian Cyclists Party after leading Bicycle NSW. Omar’s career has included working with NASA, Hewlett Packard, Apple Computer, Optus, Telstra and at the Business Council for Sustainable Development in Geneva. Omar now helps to raise trout, veggies and chickens on his farm and he is an Entrepreneur in Residence at the University of Wollongong’s iAccelerate innovation incubator.

Share via: 0 Shares













In the face of further restrictions, the President of the Australian Cyclists Party has drafted an apology the NSW Gov can use. Whenever they’re ready.



To those who we have condemned,

the NSW Government apologises to the people of NSW for its inexcusable actions and inactions towards its citizenry who either cycled or were hindered from cycling in the period 1990-20XX.

Today, of course, marks the anniversary date of one of the worst milestones of the misadventure, the first day of March, 2016.

We, the Government, apologise for the misguided actions of those who held our title in years passed, who ignored the basic legitimate needs of people wishing to choose a means of conveyance characterised as cowardly, bigoted and a betrayal of public trust.

That the NSW Government purposefully ignored the contribution of people who cycled to improve their own health and our environment while alleviating our roads and public transport of additional crowding was inexcusable. That so many were put off cycling due to the lack of proper infrastructure and encouragement is a damning indictment for the lack of due care shown by previous NSW Governments.

We take responsibility for those who were targeted and demonised by the inexcusable actions of responsible ministers and their departments who were entrusted with the promotion and safety of those who took to our roads in the belief that we would look after them properly and without prejudice. These representatives of past NSW Governments brought shame to the institution through their actions and for purposefully ignoring the evidence that was readily available to them.

The obsession with focusing on punishment and police control was uncalled for and predictably counter-productive. These actions wedged and polarised the community for no public gain. It was short-sighted political opportunism at its worst. Not enough people who sat in this Parliament had the courage to stand up when they could to stop the senseless actions. They failed you; we failed you.

NSW is at last closing this sad chapter of our Government’s actions and the behaviour of some of its most prominent leaders. Our failure had no excuses; we turned away when we should have turned up. We pledge to the people of NSW that we will do better, and we insist that you should expect better of us.

Signed,

(Insert name of Future Premier on Behalf of A Future Parliament of NSW)

Dated March 1st, 20XX

Drafted on behalf of the NSW Government by Omar Khalifa, President of the Australian Cyclists Party