Australian seatbelt champion Walter Jona, 81
Posted: Monday, July 23rd, 2007 4:40 pmFormer Hamer government minister Walter Jona, credited with saving thousands of lives by ushering in compulsory seatbelt laws in Victoria, has died after a long fight with cancer.
Mr Jona held the Melbourne seat of Hawthorn for the Liberal Party for 21 years and was behind the 1971 laws that made seatbelts mandatory.
The 81-year-old held the seat of Hawthorn, now held by Liberal Opposition Leader Ted Baillieu, from 1964 until 1985. He served as Minister of Immigration and Ethnic Affairs from 1976 until 1979 and was later minister for community services. … Read full obituary
