Campaigner sees ‘dark side’ of daylight saving

THE man who is spearheading the No campaign in the May 16 daylight saving referendum admits his views on the controversial time-change have shifted over the years.

Forrestfield MLA Andrew Waddell said becoming a father and seeing the impact of daylight saving on children had swayed his views.

He voted in favour of daylight saving at the last referendum.

“I’ve seen the dark side, so to speak, and it made me rethink my position. I’ve got a young daughter and I don’t want her staying awake until 9.30pm because it’s still light," he said.

“There is also the impact on the environment in terms of increased electricity consumption from airconditioning systems.”

The referendum will mark the end of a three-year trial on an issue that continues to polarise the State.

Mr Waddell warned that daylight saving was an outdated idea, saying the time difference between WA and the eastern states was negligible because of 21st Century communication options.

“Why would we want all those problems for a little bit of extra sunshine which is often too hot to enjoy?” he said.

“We should be running away from daylight saving as fast as we can. We have gone for hundreds of years without it and the sky hasn’t fallen – if it’s not broken there is no need to fix it.”

He believed the result would be close.

In Victoria, Tasmania, ACT, NSW Wales and South Australia, daylight saving starts on the first Sunday of October and ends on the first Sunday in April.

Flood of new voters for poll - click here to read the story

What everyone else is thinking

luke

14/05/2009

DSL is such a waste a time. Who wants it not me with out DSL we can do the same things as we would do if we had DSL.

Mike

11/05/2009

Think of what you are really doing... Your body time clock does NOT adjust
Quote from research :
"While we generally think that the time changes enforced by the DST transitions are 'only an hour,' they have far more drastic effects if viewed in the context of the circadian clock's seasonal changes," Roenneberg said. "This seemingly small hour translates to a repeat of 10 weeks in the annual progression of the relationship between our sleep-wake cycle and dawn -- four weeks in spring and six weeks in autumn. In effect, it's as if the entire population of Germany, for example, is transported to Morocco in spring and back again in autumn."
Indeed, "after taking the seasonal adjustment into account, our results show that the human circadian clock does not adjust to the DST transition," Roenneberg said.

The 3 year trial was FORCED on the WA public without a vote, and big business is pushing the yes vote hard..... not for the benefit of ordinary WA families

beerman100

07/05/2009

Dear Averill,
You restore my faith. For so long I have heard of people wanting dls because it is the hip thing to do in 2009, they forget how well we did without it. Just because it appears progressive, does not make it right. Change for the sake of change has always been wrong and always will be. Keep up the good fight.

NJ

I am and always will be a night owl.

Personally, when DS starts, I hate it, it's an hour earlier (in terms of how my body feels) that I have to get up. But it does mean I feel I can do more during the evenings, as it is still light, I am more inclined to want to do things.

The argument of more electricity being used from airconditioning. Sorry, not logical. I turn my aircon on based on the time of the day, not the temperature? Regardless of the clock showing 4pm or 5pm, if it's hot, I turn it on. Not a valid argument to me.

I like the fact it brings us closer to Eastern Time. I don't get a phone call at 5:30am from some idiot in Melbourn head office who doesn't actually care that I am in WA. Trust me, there are a lot of those.

That's my feelings on it. My vote will be yes, based on MY opinions, if they differ to yours, that just means we see different pros and cons.

Why insult other people for their differing thoughts?

Miss Margaret Kelly

06/05/2009

I live down on the south coast near Esperance and I personally find that day light saving is like having jet lag for 3 months of the year. I didn't turn my clocks backwards or forwards I just remained on real time which is what those of us who don't want day light saving down here did. It is different for those of us who are not on the west coast as the earth is curved, surprisingly and daylight and darkness happens at quite different time in the area in which I live. No matter the result of the referendum I shall remain on real time.

Kaye Ross

We don't need daylight saving. We already have nearly 30 minutes of extra daylight in the west. Why should all have to suffer for the ones who want it. Seems to me that those who want to get up earlier, should do so and let me sleep in the coolest time of the day. Staggered working time starts would also help traffic flow and public transport crowding. I'm always tired during DS and find myself staying up later because it doesn't feel late enough to go to bed and also usually too hot, and then I struggle out of bed in the morning. I also have to adjust 24 clocks/timers twice a year. What for? Queensland and Northern Territory don't have DS - seems to me that tells us something.

freddo

Curtains and blinds do not work to fool kids that it is night time, especially when they get out of bed and find that it is daytime still in the rest of the housse.
If I hear again, "it is still daytime outside" I could scream.
What do we do, when we come home close every curtain in the house and put thicker curtains and blinds on every window, ban the kids from going out side, not enjoy having the kids sit with you watching the sun go down.
As for time differences with states, the eastern states takes in account that when contacting WA and QLD during Day light savings time, and they note when they can contact West Australians by phone.
Now most workers use email to contact eachother, better than phoning, email means you can do work between states without having to wait and talk to them. You can send them all the information you want and request information. For a person working who can not work around 1 hour time difference means that person in inefficient at their job.

Bill P

05/05/2009

Here here C_T - I'm with you. I would much prefer the extra hour of daylight in winter. I don't care about being an extra 1 hour out of whack with the East - just go to work a bit earlier (and there is less traffic). Has anyone considered that rather than having 'savings' for the better part of 6 months we simply change our time zone to +9?

Hugh Hyland

The majority of population in WA are in the south-west. Daylight saving certainly is preferred by my five grown up family members and the majority of my colleagues. The cows set their times by the sun and not the clock. There is a flexibility with start and stop times for schools, businesses, etc. If certain communities to the north and east wish then they can change their hours to suit themselves while still keeping their clocks in time with the rest of the state. Even Broken Hill follows SA time, not NSW time.

Jim

Mr. Standley. Your blog in reply to Mr. Waddell’s was unnecessarily rude, and used bluster as a tactic. People usually use this when they know they are wrong but are trying unsuccessfully to convince others that they are right.
Under daylight saving (DS) 5:00 pm is really only 4:00 pm, so it is bound to be hotter than the normal 5:00, especially with the very late maximums which we have had. If it is hotter, there is more likelihood of people switching on their air conditioners, and once they are on, people are reluctant to switch them off.
In addition to this waste of electricity, there is some more in the mornings with DS, as it is still dark when most people are getting ready for work, so most of the house lights have to be on, not like in the evening when people are not moving about so much, and only rooms actually occupied need to be lit.

Mark

I am a family man too, and the thought of comming home and being able to enjoy an extra hour of quality family time with my wife and children is very appealing, as for not being able to get to sleep due to the sunlight... absolute rubbish, there are such things as curtains and blinds to overcome simple matters such as this.
As a politician, surely Mr Waddell can identify many advantages, not least, that if individuals choose they can work for longer, the government earns more revenue via taxation which in turn benefits the community as a whole, as well as the individual who has more financial wealth to put back into society.... thereby helping to stimulate the economy, a fact that politicians keep harping on about.
Quality family time is proven to benefit society in many ways, to many to mention. If Mr Waddell bothers to research and examine all factors, rather than his own personal circumstances he will recognise that the benefits far outway the negatives... Vote YES

evilbunny

How about we jump the clocks forward 3 hours so we can be on exactlly the same time frame....as the east....WHAT NO?........WHY?... Would that interfear with your life? Would going to work in the dark annoy you? Or your kids going to school in the dark,frighten them? But you could come home in the EXTREME heat of the day, and then get out with the family......for an eternity waiting for it to get dark. Before you know it , you're getting out of bed in the (dark) and you've only just gone to bed when it finally got dark . But just think of the business advantage for the EAST. Lets ignore the fact that the planet is round. Lets go back to the dark ages. Lets make the the world flat so business with the EAST can be happy.Whats 4000km between friends? Just a few hours of the planet spinning, or laid flat ...the same time ! How many of you FOOLS would actually say ...
YES?

averill

There are so many selfish "yes" people out there, I had no idea!
Not everyone lives on the coastal strip - so no afternoon sea breezes.
If you do not have A/C children who go to bed at 7 pm are trying to sleep in 30+++ temperatures. Outdoor workers can start work in a cool morning if it gets light at 5.am. The temperature does not start to drop significantly until after sunset - mid summer that is 7.30.
Why must we conform with Sydney? Their lighting up times are totally different to ours, and their temperature is not as hot, consistently as ours is.
Lastly why would we all want to take a step backwards, to World War I and II, which started daylight saving to help with the War effort? Isn't daylight saving a very old fashioned idea?
From what I have seen and heard, Daylight saving is not wanted by the majority of WA people - so they can have my vote. I really do not care either way on the issue, because I set my clock by the sun anyway, and not some silly Government regula

Lance Barron

Isn't it typical of a politician - he opens his mouth and he talks rubbish, no wonder he doesn't have a real job in the real world.

jan

I THINK WE DO NOT NEED DAYLIGHT SVING HER IN THE WEST......

Gloria

I don't understand why Mr Waddell thinks that daylight saving uses more electricity, Everyone who lives around me, whether at home or at work all day has their air conditioning going for 24 hours everyday. Personally I use more electricity now because the lights and television go on at tea time instead of a lot later during daylight saving. I hate the dark evenings!! Vote Yes.

John Craster

So, Andrew Waddell thinks the sky has not fallen in yet, well thats about the only thing he is right about. If he puts his young daughter to bed at night she will go to sleep, if she is up till 9 30 P.M. it is just a lack of bad parenting. There are thousands of children all over this planet who go to bed with no problems.In the U.K. it does not get dark untill 10 30 or 11 o clock at nightin the summer months. In places like Sweeden and Norway it is light for 23 hours a day in the summer months. All parents have to do is close the curtains. the sun will not fade them. As for the extra electricity for the A. C. The sun is still there be it 3 o clock, 4 o clock.or 5 o clock. has Mr. Waddell never heard of spending quolity time with his daughter when he gets home from work, or perhaps being an M L A. he just stays home all day.Get a life you no voters. You keep bleating about W.A. being left out or it being the forgotten state. Is it any wonder we are 20 years behind the rest of Australia

simon

pretty obvious why this guy does not have a real job and is a politician.

is he saying we use the aircond more because daylight saving is making it hotter? maybe he's of the theory its also behind global warming, you know that extra hour of sunlight is probably melting the ice caps, making our curtains are fade and confusing the cows.

and i must still have 20th century phone and email, because when i try to contact Sydney at 3.30 in the afternoon i never get an answer.

maybe mr waddell should put some more practice into his parenting skills, my kids go to bed at 7:30 regardless of where the sun is in the sky.

if 'all these problems' are the hardest thing mr waddell has to deal with it must a terrible hard job.
I can certainly see where the confusion lies, the if its not broken don't fix it philosophy is mutually exclusive to the job of a politician. Once he realises his job is to meddle in the things that work and forgot the things that are broken the world will appear flat again

C_T

We should have daylight saving now at this time of year, in winter. It is dark in the morning when you get up and dark when you get home.
Changing the clocks during winter would still mean we get up in the dark, but would give us a tiny bit more light in the evening so we could go out and do something like walk our dogs or take the kids to the park.

elnjay

if he was any sort of a father with some control over his children they would not be awake till 9.30pm. When I was a child when my parents said go to bed and go to sleep that is precisely what I did

Paul Standley

Mr Waddell's views on daylight saving are archiac and unsubstantiated. Daylight saving has been around for many years in the Eastern states and Europe where children have manged to cope with the later lighter evenings. Please don't try to convince us that our West Australian children are different and unable to adjust where millions of children around the world can! I would also like for Mr Waddell to contact the Office of Energy and request data that indicates we use more energy during daylight saving. Mr Waddell, you are a politician so please get the facts right before you open your mouth.

Greg Williams

Many of the arguments for and against the introduction of daylight saving relate to comparisons between Western Australia and the Eastern States that have introduced it. The most striking difference between Western Australia and Victoria, New South Wales, South Australia and Tasmania is that none of those States has a tropical component. Nearly 40% of Western Australia lies within the tropics. It is with an arrogance and selfishness beyond belief that those of us who live south of Carnarvon think that our evening walk or sipping a wine on our front verandah in a nice twilight, is more important than the comfort of our northern colleagues.

Daylight saving in the tropics is just plain stupid.