Tough law and order policies have failed to reduce crime and have only fanned the public's fear of crime, the Greens' state MPs said yesterday.Unveiling what they described as their Justice and Rights Policy, the Greens' Lee Rhiannon and Ian Cohen said it was time NSW politicians turned their attention from tough sentencing to addressing the causes of crime.
"There is no consensus in NSW on the need for tougher sentences, watering down of police anti-corruption safeguards, persecution of drug users and constant politicisation of the work of the judiciary," Ms Rhiannon said.
"The law and order debate seeks to give the police complete freedom and put onerous burdens on the proper independence of judge and juries."
The Greens have pledged to support:
More funds for early intervention and diversionary programs which would reduce the risk of young people becoming offenders.
Drug law reform to remove organised crime and prevent addicts from having to steal to fund their addictions.
Discretion over bail to remain with the judiciary. Community policing where police are visible.
A ban on automatic and semi-automatic handguns.
Mr Cohen said the division between the Attorney-General, Bob Debus, and the Police Minister, Michael Costa, over bail rules should encourage healthy debate about crime issues.
"The law and order bidding war the two major parties have engaged in has occurred at the expense of families and friends of those affected. Their pain and trauma is real and should not be played with for cheap political gain," he said.
The Greens will launch their Eco-jobs policy in the Illawarra today. They say the plan has identified and costed 12,000 new jobs in sunrise industries.
"The Greens are calling on the Government to immediately appoint a taskforce to detail the costing and implementation of this package using experts from Treasury, Sustainable Energy Development Authority and universities,"
Mr. & Mrs. Mandatory Sentencing
Well congratulations to the bride and groom. Could you please be upstanding and raise your glasses for Mr. And Mrs. Mandatory.
By Com Munity March 14 03
THE EGG: MORE HOSPITALS AND MORE SCHOOLS THANKS! WHAT DO WE WANT? NO MORE JAILS!
Related:
Distribution of: 'How to Votes in prisons'?
Justice Action have received information from Andrew Burke of the NSW Greens that they have enquired with the Department of Corrective Services as to the procedure for distributing their How To Votes in prisons in the period before the election.
Getting Justice Wrong DPP make full admissions
Back in May 2001 Nicholas Cowdery QC made an error at law by giving a speech called Getting Justice Wrong at the University of New England, Armidale Thursday, 31 May 2001. Sir Frank Kitto, Lecture now published at the DPP website. At page six, paragraph 3 under the heading:
Democrats preferences split down the middle
The Australian Democrats will divide their preferences evenly between Labor and the Coalition, and both will be put below progressive minor parties on Democrat how-to-vote cards, party leader Arthur Chesterfield-Evans revealed yesterday.
Carr's pitch: Will leave you in a ditch: Let him bury you?
The Premier, Bob Carr, dubbed Darth Vader launched his bid for a historic third term by asking voters not to judge Labor solely on its record but to look to the future and let his Government "get on with the job".
Democrats call for more accountability in NSW Govt
Democrats upper house MP, Dr Arthur Chesterfield-Evans, made the accusation while launching a policy calling for more accountability in state government.
NSW Election 2003: VOTE 1 DEMOCRATS
The Democrats have watched with concern as both of the major parties support more and more legislation that puts more and more people in prisons. It is very easy for politicians to be tough on crime but it is harder to for them to explain to develop solutions to crime. Talkback radio and populist media driven opinion polls that show that the public approves of imprisonment.This comes from the notions that:
NSW ELECTION 2003: VOTE 1 GREENS
Drug law reform: The Greens are proud to have the most progressive policy of any party on drug law reform. Our Drugs and Harm Minimisation Policy is available in full from The NSW Greens, as are all our policies.
The Breen Machine - Reform The Legal System Party
For the past four years, Reform the Legal System has promoted human rights in the new South Wales Parliament. Our most significant achievement is the legislation, passed late last year, to require all bills introduced into the Parliament to be checked for breaches of human rights.
PM lost in space! Pre-emptive Strikes & Star Wars Defence!!
War criminal PM backs missile defence investigation but he is not on his own. Bob Carr dubbed Darth Vader after draconian laws were introduced in NSW following John Howard's threats to strike first and ask questions later.
Constitution, politics, police and prison corruption
Carr appeal is rotten
NSW voters believe the Carr Labor Government has performed bad on crime and public safety and done a poor job in health and hospitals, people can see it with their own eyes.
NSW Election 2003: The Sale of Justice
NSW Young Lawyers' Criminal Law & Human Rights Committees, however, have been concerned about the civil rights trade-offs that both major parties have been proposing (or, in the case of the Government, implementing) prior to the election.
Human Rights 'Framed'
Here is a quick report on our Human Rights Commission approach on Framed (the quarterly magazine of Justice Action) being banned from all NSW prisons. After 42 issues went in.
Abolition of 800 year old double jeopardy law a crime
The 800-year-old rule prevents a person who's acquitted of a criminal charge from ever being re-tried for that offense.
Prison Privatisation: Death camps looming in NSW
I asked for the identification of the person I was speaking to and was told that I was not entitled to that information. I needed to verify the call and asked for a name or number to register my call because I was asked to get those details by my coordinator.
Take crime talk beyond the bars:'lobby group'
A coalition of academics, crime experts, welfare and church groups is preparing to launch an intensive pre-election campaign aimed at refocusing the attention of NSW politicians from harsh sentencing reforms to crime prevention strategies.
NSW A-G moves to stop criminals and ex-criminals selling stories
From next month criminals or ex-criminals who try to profit (earn a living for paid work, like writing a book etc..) from their crimes in New South Wales will have the proceeds confiscated.
NSW Govt criticised over criminal justice record
Key criminal justice groups have described the New South Wales Government's record on justice issues as a "disappointing performance".
Demolishing Democracy
How Bob Carr, [ the Coalition of the Killing,] and Bin Laden gave birth to the NSW police state. The [CIA false flag ]Bali bombings could not have come at a 'better time' for [the Coalition of the Killing and] Bob Carr and his project to bring an end to Westminster democracy in NSW.
Litigants are drowning: in the High Court
There were so many self represented litigants appearing in the High Court that more than half of its registry staff's time was taken up in dealing with them. The "go it alone" litigants have to take on tasks well above their qualified league causing them stress. This growing problem cannot be left unchecked.
The community questions ICAC's slagging and fobbing you off?
The ICAC, Commissions, Ombudsman, Police Integrity Commission (PIC), and numerous Tribunals etc, are all arms of government set up as an insurance police for the government's 3 or 4 year election terms. In short they'll be out of office by the time you may be lucky enough to have your matter heard.
Mr. & Mrs. Mandatory Sentencing
Well congratulations to the bride and groom. Could you please be upstanding and raise your glasses for Mr. And Mrs. Mandatory.
NSW prisons - primary industry bailed up!
In many quiet regional centres around NSW there is a new primary industry shaping up. It has something to do with Bail but not with bales. The minister for Agriculture Richard Amery who also has the prisons portfolio is now committed to farming prisoners.
NSW Parliament Bitter Pills To Swallow?
One delusion pill: So people who investigate their own mistakes make sure there was no mistake or someone else made the mistake. Perhaps you're not biased and you will be honest about it.
Who is bad?
Super Rat? M5? M11? K8? N2? So I trust that some people who, with the photos and guns guessed that a jury would quickly establish a case against a profiled person whom, you just had a picture and a history of. Common knowledge? The government knew their victims would take the blame. Not just chess in court, 'moving around the pieces', but 'putting false evidence, or not enough evidence before the jury."
False flag operations, scapegoats and patsies
State terror units caused the terror!
The level of suspicion and surveillance created by the [US false flag operation and call to arms] Bali bombings, created by [ the Coalition of the Killing and Australian's complicity to go to war on Iraq] means that all Australian's suffer the loss of their human rights, civil rights and their democratic rights, as well as those Australian's who lost their life in Bali.
Middle Eastern: Specific Legislation
"If there is a target person the police would have powers in relation to that type of person," Mr Costa said. Asked what he meant by "type of person", Mr Costa said: "The example that's been given is if there's a description of somebody, an identikit photograph released by Interpol or other agencies ... these powers may well be exercised on that type of person."
