A recent eye problem has severely impaired my vision so yesterday morning my wife drove me from our home to Macarthur Station. The off-peak ride in was quite pleasant. I attended a couple of meetings in the city, called back to Parliament House to get some documents the put myslelf at the mercy of our public transport system to get back to my home in Camden South. Following is my log of events:

8.20 PM: Depart office in Parliament House – walk towards St James Station.

8.25 PM. Enter St James Station via Macquarie St – entrance gates locked – no signs. Return to Macquarie Street.

8.30 PM: Enter St James Station via Elizabeth Street entrance. Don’t need to use ticket as gates are open and nobody in attendance to check tickets.

8.56 PM: Board train for Macarthur – 21 station stops – no ticket inspectors – or security sighted.

10.05 PM: Arrive at Macarthur Station – ticket gates open – nobody checking. Walk to bus terminal. Check bus schedule to Camden South. First bus (895) due at 10.45 PM.

10.19 PM: Called Taxis Combined – asked to go to nearest cross road at Gilchrist/Kellicar.

10.39: Called Taxis Combined again to check arrival time of taxi.

10.45 40-seater (895) bus to Camden South arrives at junction (empty) but ignores my attempt to wave it down.

10.50: Call Taxis Combined and cancel cab. Walk back to bus terminal.

11.01. 40-seater (891) bus arrives (empty) but advised that it only goes as far as the footbridge over Narellan Road. This is around 12 km short of my destination. Driver advises that the 890 bus was due in 10 minutes but it only went as far as the Narellan Shops. This is about 10 Km short. Then advised that the 895 bus was due at 11.39 PM but it terminated at the Camden Shops – this is still about 5 km short of my destination.

11.08 PM.  Caled 1234 and asked for Camden Taxi Service – redirected to Taxis Combined.  Hang up – ring 12434 again ans ask for Campbelltown Taxi Service – redirected to Taxis Combined.

11.10 PM Called Taxis Combined and re-booked a taxi – ‘on Gilchrist Road in front of the Macarthur Tavern’.

11..17 PM: Arrive back at Gilchrist Road.

11.20 PM 40-seater bus (890) passes intersection with one passenger – this is a 100 per cent increase on the previous two buses.

11.22 PM. Taxi approaches intersection – ignores my wave – and proceeds north towards Glen Alpione.

11.24 PM. Hail car with light on top – gives a quick blue flash to let me know it’s not a taxi.

11.31 Called Taxis Combined and advised the taxi driver couldn’t find me.  Asked them to call him again and advise that I was the only person standing outside the Macarthur Tavern.  Operator advises that the taxi driver is not answering his phone and his is the only cab in the area.  Beauty!

11.32 PM . Taxi arrives at intersection – walk over to driver to ask if he is looking for me. He replies that has a passenger. I ask him if he could come back and take me back to Camden South – he told me it was too far and drove off. Expletive followed. I called the number on the side of his cab 133100 – Premier Cabs answered and took my booking. As I completed my call their cab returned and pulled up – obviously didn’t hear my expletive!  He drove to Camden South. Advised me on the way that he had heard my call for a booking around an hour before but was enroute from Castle Hill and didn’t know the area so was reluctant to take the booking.

11.55. Arrived at home in Camden South – cab-fare $43.29.

Total time in transit between Parliament House and home residence via public/private  transport on Tuesday, 28 June: 3 hours 35 minutes. Distance 70 kilometres. I believe the journey would have been about a half-hour longer if I had used the bus – but I didn’t have that option.

I now have a better understanding why so many Camden workers are forced to survive the drive on Labor’s M5!  Public transport is simply not an option.

Silvertail North Shore lawyer acting for the shadowy Quaranic Society, Jeremy Bingham, boasted from his London pad that he had never lost a case in the Land and Environment Court. Chk Chk Boom, Jeremy!

Any type of Development Application on the proposed site was bound to create community opposition because our planning laws do not allow for it. The strategy of the ‘reverse-racists’ to have Camden portrayed as ignorant bigots was beneath contempt.

Attempts were made to diffuse the issue below the radar but it was clear the apologists for the Quaranic Society wanted conflict because the salivating media machine had to be fed. An approach was made by a developer who owned land at Sefton which is zoned for educational purposes, is closer to the catchment area for Islamic students, and could easily accommodate their plans.

The response from the chief apologist of the Quaranic Society was ‘we will take it if you give it to us for nothing!’ This arrogant bastardry was an indication of their confidence of winning their appeal in the Land and Environment Court. It was a gamble they were willing to take because Jeremy ‘had never lost a case’ and success in the court represented a financial windfall for the developer. Land zoned for ‘educational purposes’ is far more expensive than land for primary production!

There is no place in our society for unethical organisations who play the race card for profit or personal advantage. There are no winners when this happens.

We now have a case where the reputation of Camden as a peaceful rural city has been smeared. The other victims are the greater majority of peaceful Muslims who live in our society.

I have now led two groups of young Muslims across the Kokoda Trail and I can report that they are as proudly Australian as any of the others I have led. It is unfair that they have also been so unfairly stigmatised by such a grubby attempt to circumnavigate our planning laws.

We now have the task of rebuilding our image and our relationship with the Muslim community. We have to learn more about each other through engaging each other in education, arts, sport and recreational activities.
And we have to isolate religious extremists and bigots from both sides of the debate.