It seems that the “prisoner rights” era has been preceded by “criminal rights” courtesy of some members of the judiciary – rights that over-ride and shadow basic common-sense law and order.
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Day to day our community is appalled with court outcomes, none less than the recent Victorian paramedic assault debacle, with similar outcomes extending to our police in the course of duty, criminal activity in general including serial drunk and drug drivers.
The major defence card played here is the supposed diminished responsibility for a defendant’s actions due to self-inflicted drugs, alcohol or an unhappy childhood and so on, causing mental illness of some degree.
All this failing soft approach to criminal acts achieves is to champion the cause of the socialist left and counterpart civil libertarians and conversely further erode our rapidly declining social structure, law and order, and public expectations of justice and deterrents.
If this line of defence for wanton criminal activity continues to prevail, then it is beyond time to alternatively introduce a secondary detention facility serving to treat and rehabilitate this category of “mentally impaired” criminals, and also remove them from the community, rather than continue to have them free to run amok committing further crimes, including taking lives.
Would this alternative then impact on the current type of criminal defence?
Peter Dent, Thurgoona
First rule: Me, me, me
I was shocked to hear that our hard-working (not) politicians are at it once again (‘Leaders call for Maguire to quit seat’, The Border Mail, July 14). Self-serving overpaid bureacrats, out to feather their own nests yet again. The politicians handbook page 1 must read: Me, Me, Me … and stuff the rest. One day they may start looking after their electorates again, and serving the people they say they are representing.
Well, I can only dream but anyone reading this will be dead and buried by the time that happens.
Gary Evans, North Albury
Farmers deserve better
Victoria is an agricultural powerhouse, and we’ve built an enviable reputation as a region that can reliably deliver clean, green, premium produce to domestic and overseas markets.
Our willingness to adopt research and development and respond to market demands, and our rigorous biosecurity measures and export protocols have put Victorian farm and food businesses in a prime position to tap into growing export markets across the Asian region.
But the drive has stalled in the last three years, with a state Labor government that just hasn’t fully grasped the opportunity sitting at our farm gates. State budget papers confirm the Andrews government has cut trade engagement spending by more than half, and quietly shelved important work to strengthen market opportunities in Asia which began in 2013.
Similarly, there wasn’t any new money for agricultural research and development in this year’s budget.
Trade opportunities take time and persistence to develop and if Victoria continues to disengage our farmers, our wider economy will miss out. Victorian farmers and food manufacturers deserve a state government that has a vision for their growth and is prepared to invest in their future.