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News Alerts, May 2010.
Phone poll - Is it too easy to get guns in Australia? Call the NO line - 1900966331 - now to lodge a NO vote. A phone call will cost you 55 cents including GST, but freedom has never come cheap. We have no way of knowing how long this poll will remain open.
30 killed as Jamaican government battles drug lords "Christopher ‘Dudus’ Coke, the alleged drug kingpin at the centre of the Jamaican unrest, may have fled the country, according to the government. Coke had months to stockpile weapons in his slum stronghold while the premier wavered over US demands for his extradition. “I could not say if he is in Jamaica,” Information Minister Daryl Vaz said of Coke, who is known as “Dudus.” “It’s very difficult to tell.” Police and soldiers who fought their way into the barricaded Tivoli Gardens slum in gritty West Kingston were conducting a door-to-door search, and the government reported calm Wednesday. Coke’s lawyer has declined to confirm his whereabouts....
Last weekend, thousands went shooting.... Last weekend, thousands ... went shooting and used their firearms responsibly, without hurting or inconveniencing others. They will do it next weekend, too. That is the truth. But it's not news, is it? It wouldn't have been news 50 or 60 years ago either. Back then, Australian society viewed firearms as everyday equipment, no more worthy of comment than a spade or a cricket bat. Shooting was seen as a mainstream activity - ordinary, unremarkable, normal. In the late 1950s, my urban high school had a .22 rifle range next to some classrooms and the main quadrangle....
Invasions no help to ducks Wetland invasions first became a feature of Victorian duck openings in the early 1980s. Pioneered by Animal Liberation and dubbed "duck rescue", they followed a soon-familiar pattern. Groups of activists entered selected wetlands before shooting started and were asked to disrupt the shooting, scare birds into flight and pick up downed waterfowl. Consequently, hunters found that retrieving a shot duck often meant trying to get to the bird before activists did. So, with some irony, duck hunters gave these duck opening invasions a suitable soubriquet - the Annual Pinch-a-Duck Handicap....
Adelaide man charged with infecting nearly 3000 computers world-wide A three-month probe by electronic crime sections of South Australian (SA) Police and the Australian Federal Police has finally led to the arrest of a 20-year-old Adelaide man, who allegedly infected thousands of Australian and overseas computers with malicious software. The man from the western suburbs of Adelaide has been charged with infecting nearly 3,000 global computers with viruses designed to capture banking details and credit card information from the compromised computers....
Farmer unlikely to face charges after shooting intruder A farmer is unlikely to face charges after shooting an intruder in the foot in the Barossa Valley early this morning. Police say the alleged intruder, a 27-year old Orroroo man, had driven into private property some time during the night and bogged his Ford panel van in a ditch. About 3.30am he tried to get into the back door of the home occupied by the 65-year old farmer, who confronted the intruder with a .22 calibre rifle....
Parts of SA's anti-bikie laws could be used against cults Parts of South Australia's anti-bikie laws could be used against cults like the Agape Ministries group, South Australian police commissioner Mal Hyde says. Two people have been arrested and charged with firearms offences after police raided properties connected with the religious group, where offices seized explosives, guns and 80,000 rounds of ammunition. Mr Hyde described the amount of ammunition which was found hidden inside bed frames and in shipping containers, as extraordinary. He said it might be possible for aspects of the anti-gang laws, which relate to criminal organisations, to apply. "People were concerned that the legislation was designed to target only bikies but we've always said it should be targeted at organised crime and dealing with crime, whether or not they ride a bike," Mr Hyde told ABC radio on Tuesday....
[UK} Firearms laws could cause chaos at 2012 Olympics London 2012's shooting event is heading for chaos because of Britain's draconian firearms legislation for athletes from European countries. Some European teams have been unable to compete at a clay pigeon World Cup event in Dorset this week after failing to lodge original certificates of firearms permits with UK police long in advance. Without having that paperwork in their possession several athletes would be in breach of their national laws to hold their firearms at home....
The public face of the fight for gun rights From behind the wheel of his hulking GMC Suburban, 76-year-old Otis McDonald leads a crime-themed tour of his Morgan Park neighborhood. He points to the yellow brick bungalow he says is a haven for drug dealers. Down the street is the alley where five years ago he saw a teenager pull out a gun and take aim at a passing car."I know every day that I come out in the streets, the youngsters will shoot me as quick as they will a policeman," says McDonald, a trim man with a neat mustache and closely cropped gray hair. "They'll shoot a policeman as quick as they will any of their young gangbangers." To defend himself, McDonald says, he needs a handgun. So, in April of 2008, the retired maintenance engineer agreed to serve as the lead plaintiff in a lawsuit challenging Chicago's 28-year-old handgun ban. Soon after, he walked into the Chicago Police Department and, as his attorneys had directed, applied for a .22-caliber Beretta pistol, setting the lawsuit into motion. When that case is argued before the U.S. Supreme Court on March 2, McDonald will become the public face of one of the most important Second Amendment cases in the nation's history....
On the frontline against Africa's bush killers Bloody attacks by fighters from the Lord's Resistance Army have forced the people of Obo, a small town in the Central African Republic, to take up arms to protect themselves. Walking back and forth under a giant mango tree, Joseph Fele carefully inspects the 30 men preparing for the next patrol. Freshly shaved and wearing a tidy, purple gown, his figure is in stark contrast to the ragged, sweating militiamen lined up in front of him. "When the Tongo Tongo attacked Obo for the first time, they took our children and raped our women. It cost us 70 lives, but we swore not to let it happen again. That's why we are fighting back!" he shouts at his fighters, some of whom struggle to stay in formation under the baking tropical sun. Yet, unprofessional and desperate as they appear, they are the last line of defence in a community fighting for survival....
[Canada] The right to catch a thief still exists Brian Knight heads to trial on June 17th, with the support of most of his neighbours and the general public. There seem to be worried lawyers and police arguing that he had no right to take the law into his own hands. The word "vigilante" has been used, provocatively, and unfairly, in the context of the case. I cannot comment on whether Knight, a farmer from Tees, Alberta, should be convicted. But I can speak to the long history of the law on the subject, and I can assure you that Knight and his neighbours were doing what people have done since time immemorial. He was chasing a thief. He was in hot pursuit.... I have to wonder how many of the legal "experts" who say that Knight had no right to take the law into his own hands realize that our criminal law is based on a thousand years of law that says otherwise...?
[US] Chicago mayor gun "up your butt" would show gun ban works Chicago's ban on handguns is facing a serious challenge in the U.S. Supreme Court, and when a reporter asked if the ban is working, Mayor Richard M. Daley didn't mince any words. Chicago Reader reporter Mick Dumke asked whether the ban is effective, given the amount of gun violence that continues to plague the city. "It's been very effective," Mayor Daley replied at the City Hall news conference Thursday, smiling as he walked away from the podium. He then picked up a long rifle from a table of confiscated weapons. "If I put this up your butt, you'll find out how effective it is. Let me put a round up your, you know...."
The information: Britain's legally held firearms at 15-year high One target that the outgoing Labour government did not set itself was to increase the number of privately owned firearms. Yet at 138,000, the number of firearm certificates currently held by the British public is higher than at any point since the mid-1990s, following an 8 per cent increase in 2008/09. Despite the rise in ownership, however, the likelihood of being shot does not seem to have risen. The number of crimes in which a firearm is used has been on a five-year downward trend. Indeed, the 39 gun-related fatalities in 2008/09 represent the lowest total for 20 years....
Man shot dead by police who mistook his handyman tool for an Uzi submachine gun A man using a power drill on his balcony in a Rio de Janeiro slum was shot dead by police who mistook his handyman tool for an Uzi submachine gun. "It'd be funny if they thought I was waving a gun around", were the last words of Helio Ribeiro to his wife inside, local media said, as he spotted a police unit close by looking for drug gang members in the tense neighbourhood....
CrimTrac chief wants drivers licence photos on national database, and that's not all... Thousands of Australians have their identity stolen every day, costing the public billions of dollars every year. To combat the problem, police need better access to information, including access to photos from every drivers' licence in the country, argues the head of CrimTrac, Ben McDevitt. Mr McDevitt hopes to give police ready access to passport photos, the registries of births, deaths and marriages, and the electoral roll, he told the biennial conference of the NSW Police Association this week. CrimTrac is a federal agency which keeps and develops national databases of information including criminal histories, DNA and fingerprints. Currently, police who check a driver's licence cannot verify that the photo on the licence is the same as that stored on RTA records, he said....
"Arsenal of weapons" seized in raid on "doomsday cult" Police have seized an arsenal of weapons, high-powered ammunition and explosives from South Australian properties linked to a doomsday cult. About 90 police have been involved in searches over the past two days of 12 properties owned by a religious sect known as the Agape Ministries of God, which believes the world is approaching the end. The searches have uncovered five unsecured firearms at four properties and ammunition, as well as detonators and explosive fuses....
Drive-by shooting — Shots fired at Adelaide house The residents of a northern suburbs home, including two children, were lucky to escape injury during a drive-by shooting overnight. Their Smithfield Plains home was peppered with with up to seven bullets about 9.20pm last night. A police spokesman said the shots were fired from a passing car into the house....
[Canada] 'Registry is a phone book and the criminals are unlisted' It is with great interest that I have watched the reactions of the Canadian public last week to the recent media coverage of the Canadian long-gun registry and our minority Conservative government's bill to repeal it. Hopefully, the facts will prevail and the myths and political rhetoric surrounding it will be seen for what they really are. The registry is a phone book -- and the criminals in this country are, for the most part, unlisted. Also unlisted are the law-abiding citizens in Nunavut (Canada's aboriginals) who have been exempted from complying with this law, and the many other law-abiding citizens who complied with the letter of the law at the time and sent in a letter of intent indicating that sometime in the future they might register their firearms....
[UK] ISSF World Cup organisers apologise to Indian shooters Bowing to pressure, the organisers of the ISSF World Cup in Dorset (UK) on Sunday apologised to the Indian shooters who were harassed by their transport staff. "The organisers have apologised for the incident," National Rifles Association of India (NRAI) Secretary Rajiv Bhatia said. "A meeting was held between our representatives and the organisers where they apologised. I have spoken to our team manager T Padmanabhan, who was at the meeting. We have asked for a written apology from them and are currently waiting for the letter," Bhatia said. Padmanabhan on Saturday wrote to the Indian High Commission in London, complaining that the shooters were insulted by the transport staff of the event....
[UK] How Dorset shooting range became target of Indian ire Think of the quiet life and you may not pick the Shotgun World Cup as a likely setting. But you would at least expect a minority sport, in a corner of Dorset, to be free from international incident, wouldn't you? Not so. Over the weekend, the Southern Counties Shooting Ground became a diplomatic battleground - unfortunate for an event, one of 64 supported by UK Sport during the run-up to the 2012 Olympics, which was supposed to persuade the world's top shooters to train there ahead of the Games. The row erupted when members of the Indian team complained of "harassment" from British bus drivers ferrying competitors to and from the venue. A lengthy political narrative ensued, involving India's sports minister, the Indian High Commission in London, and wildly differing versions of what some might call relatively trivial events. While this played out, British shooters like Richard Faulds and Peter Wilson desperately tried to concentrate on the task at hand: their double-trap final....
Gun owners to fight new rifle prohibition The National Firearms Association of Canada is demanding access to an RCMP report that explains why a previously restricted rifle was suddenly reclassified as prohibited. Once merely restricted due to the length of its barrel, the Norinco Type 97A rifle was apparently deemed prohibited last year after it was found to be easily converted to an automatic weapon. The High Standard Model 10B shotgun also went from being a restricted firearm to a prohibited weapon with little explanation, the association says. The organization argues the RCMP made the decision "unilaterally" and is now unfairly confiscating the weapons, about 39 of which have been registered to restricted firearm licence holders across Canada....
Washington's new gun rules shift constitutional debate Mark Snyder, an amateur biathlete, wanted to buy a .22-caliber bolt-action rifle for target shooting and figured the process would take about a week. After nearly six weeks, six visits to police departments and $300 in fees, he secured his rifle. "I was not expecting a free ride," said Mr. Snyder, 45, "but this is an obstacle course they put in place." The U.S. Supreme Court overturned the District of Columbia's 32-year ban on handguns in 2008, a victory for the gun-rights lobby that seemed to promise a more permissive era in America's long tussle over gun ownership. Since then, the city has crafted rules that are proving a new, powerful deterrent to residents who want to buy firearms. Legal gun owners must be registered by the city, a red flag for many in the gun-rights community concerned that registration lists could be used to confiscate firearms. The District limits the number of bullets a gun can hold and the type of firearm residents can buy. It requires that by next year manufacturers sell guns equipped with a special identification technology—one that hasn't yet been adopted by the industry....
Two charged with Mount barker shooting Two men have been charged with shooting a Mount Barker man earlier in the year. South Australian police will allege a Bowden man, 54, and his accomplice, 34, went to the victim's house in the Adelaide hills in March and claimed to be Telstra employees....
'Don't believe everything I say' - Tony Abbott Tony Abbott says voters should not believe every pledge he makes unless it is written down, in which case it's the "gospel truth". The Opposition Leader revealed that "in the heat of discussion" he sometimes goes further with a promise than he should. Quizzed on the ABC's 7.30 Report about his broken promise not to increase taxes, Mr Abbott said sometimes "absolute weight" could be placed on what is said and other times it was just the "give and take of standard conversation". Mr Abbott said in a radio interview in February that the Coalition would not increase tax and in March announced a tax on big business to pay for a parental leave scheme. "I know politicians are going to be judged on everything they say but sometimes in the heat of discussion you go a little bit further than you would if it was an absolutely calm, considered, prepared, scripted remark," he said.... Read Story
Call to cull 10,000 staving 'roos in national park Around 10,000 kangaroos have invaded a small national park near Loxton and may have to be shot or starved out. The Department of Environment and Heritage has warned locals a culling campaign could soon begin after surveys showed numbers at the Murray River National Park near Loxton had tripled to 80 animals per square kilometre....
Google mistakenly collected WiFi information Google has said it will no longer collect WiFi network information for its Street
View mapping service after "mistakenly" gathering personal wireless data. "Maintaining people's trust is crucial to everything we do, and in this case we fell short," Alan Eustace, a Google senior vice president for engineering and research, said in a blog post. Although Google has stated previously it did not collect any personal data, "it's now clear that we have been mistakenly collecting samples of payload data from open (ie non-password-protected) WiFi networks," he said....
Police find three kitchen knives and two mobile phones on teenager Police have seized a pair of nunchucks, three kitchen knives and four mobile phones from a teenager in Melbourne's north. Police have been conducting weapons searches across the city in a bid to reduce knife-related crime. The 17-year-old was stopped and searched by police on Friday evening at the entrance to Glenroy train station....
Shots fired during Sydney home invasion A man sustained facial injuries during a violent home in Sydney's west, police say. A 35-year-old man was with his family at the Jackaranda Road, St Marys home, when he allegedly heard a number of people trying to break in through the front door about 6.30pm (AEST) yesterday....
[NSW] National parks look to a fast foods future New tourism laws could pave the way for supermarkets, rifle ranges, car race tracks, and even fast food chains to be built in national parks across NSW, environment groups have claimed. Legislation amending the National Parks and Wildlife Act is expected to be introduced in this session of Parliament. The draft bill would allow the state government to grant exclusive leases and licences to private companies wanting to establish tourist accommodation, shops, restaurants, cafes, conference facilities, and sport and recreational activities in national parks, nature reserves and conservation areas....
Weapons seized in raid on Sydney bikie clubhouse Police have seized a Glock pistol and silencer from a Rebels bikie clubhouse at Leppington in Sydney's southwest. Just before 8pm (AEST) on Tuesday, officers from Strike Force Raptor, supported by members of the riot squad and the dog squad, searched the clubhouse on Bringelly Road while the bikies were meeting there....
Long gun registry is a waste: Calgary Herald The value of the federal long gun registry became muddled last week with three law enforcement organizations lobbying to keep it and three former Winnipeg SWAT team members saying it is ineffective and useless. The retired officers, no longer muzzled by the official position of their professional organizations, include Dave Shipman, who retired after 25 years with the force, 16 of them in homicide. "Never have I attended a killing when a registry of any of the weapons would have prevented that killing from occurring," said Shipman, who said he's seen hundreds of killings. "The long gun registry is not working to prevent gun crime as it was intended. Criminals . . . do not register their stolen or smuggled guns that are being used to wage war in our cities." It would be easy for supporters of the registry to dismiss Shipman and the other two officers as a minority voice, considering that the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police, the Canadian Police Association and the Canadian Association of Police Boards are in favour of keeping the registry....
Legal firearm numbers in Scotland reach 10-year high The number of legally-held firearms has reached a 10-year high in Scotland, despite a fall in the number of certificates being issued. Figures published by Scotland's chief statistician showed 70,856 weapons were held by people with certificates at the end of last year, up 2% on 2008. The number of certificates had fallen by 1% since 2008 to 26,072, a drop of 9% from the total in 2000. A certificate permits the owner to possess one or more weapons There were 335 registered firearms dealers in Scotland at the end of 2009, an increase of eight on the previous year. Only 12 of the 1,124 applications for a new firearms certificate were unsuccessful last year, while only one of the 2,101 applications for a renewal was rejected.....
Overwhelming support for R18+ games rating The federal government has received overwhelming support for the introduction of an R18+ classification band for computer games, largely due to lobbying efforts by games retailer EB Games. For months EB Games convinced customers at its stores to support R18+ for games by getting them to participate in the public consultation process. In preliminary figures released last week, a whopping 98.2 per cent out of the 58,589 submissions to a public consultation backed the move. The federal Attorney-General's Department received 59,678 submissions in total from individuals and various organisations including religious groups....
Witnesses withhold evidence over Adelaide shooting Fearful victims and witnesses are withholding information from police investigating a shooting at Blair Athol that wounded two men last Friday. Police say they will re-interview the seven men who were playing cards in the reserved car park when two unknown men with their faces covered and armed with .22 calibre handguns attacked the group about 8.45pm. Holden Hill Superintendent Barry Lewis said the attackers "beckoned" to the group to come close then fired several shots into the ground as they fled before firing at and hitting the two victims. Supt Lewis said the shootings were linked to groups or gangs involved with the illegal drug trade....
No more dodgy how-to-vote cards The Rann Government will introduce legislation to stop the use of dodgy how-to-vote cards at state elections. Mr Rau said his predecessor Michael Atkinson - who introduced the internet blogger law - had promised to repeal it after it was widely attacked, particularly by adelaidenow readers. "This week, we will make good on this promise with the introduction of a Bill to amend the legislation," he said. "The proposed legislation will also cover the use of "how to vote" cards. "While I am informed that advice to the Electoral Commissioner concluded there was no breach of the Act in the March election, we have listened to the community and are legislating to stop a practice which may confuse voters....
Police raid uncovers drugs and prohibited firearms Inspector Scott Denny says the operation has involved several big drug seizures. "We have 35 grams of methamphetamine which was seized, 11 fully-matured cannabis plants, just over 900 grams of dried high quality cannabis, just under $35,000 in cash and five prohibited, illegal weapons," he said....
No evidence Canada's gun registry works A Conservative Party MP’s private member’s bill to scrap the long-gun firearms registry is inching toward Parliament for its third and final vote in a few weeks. The only reason it got this far in a minority Parliament is that the Liberal and NDP leaders allowed free votes on it. That’s changed, as Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff has announced he’ll punish any of his members who vote their conscience or for their constituents on this matter. With the brave and notable exception of Calgary police Chief Rick Hanson, Canada’s serving cops seem to just love the $2-billion boondoggle that is the firearms registry. On the other hand, cops love a lot of things that aren’t good for society. That’s why nobody wakes up in the morning to exult: “Oh goodie! I live in a police state!” OK, nobody except for guys such as Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and Kim Jong Il....
Shooting in Football Club car park 'could be gang-related'
A shooting incident in the car park of the Kilburn Football Club could be gang-related, police have said. Two males, a 20-year-old of Modbury and a 26-year-old of Enfield, were taken to hospital on Friday night with non-threatening gunshot wounds after they were targeted by a pair of masked gunmen. The suspects fired a number of shots and were last seen driving off in a red or maroon Holden Commodore that had been parked on Alice Ave....
Internet filter could could slow National Broadband Network speeds
An internet service provider (ISP) says the Federal Government's proposed filter has the potential to cause bottlenecks and webpage blackouts, making its high-speed National Broadband Network less viable. The Government announced the filter two years ago as part of its cyber safety program to protect children from pornography and offensive material. Last year it ran tests on the system. John Lindsay from internet company Internode says such a filtering slowdown will make a big difference to businesses, especially when downloading files. "It is mostly about lag. When you click on something it will add milliseconds... fractions of a second, probably in the order of a fifth-of-a-second lag to everything, but of more concern is what happens when something breaks in that mechanism," he said....
[TAS] Gaps in fox baiting program because of resistance from some farmers A Statewide (Tasmania) fox baiting blitz begins in the South on Monday, but there will be gaps in its coverage. Some farmers have refused to assist in the program, fearing it will kill dogs and wildlife. The five-year program will involve laying 1080 baits, buried in meat about 5cm-10cm underground, across almost half of Tasmania's land mass. The blitz begins in Southport and will move up the Huon and Channel region before heading north until all 3,000,000ha of core fox habitat over farms, woodlands and grasslands have been baited....
Bob Brown mediating
Wilderness Society spat
has been trying to act as a mediator in an internal dispute that is damaging the organisation's reputation. A judge in Hobart said the evasive behaviour of the society's management committee was blatant to the point of dishonesty. Last Friday's court case cleared the way for a breakaway group, Save the Wilderness Society, to hold new elections....
South Australian parliament resumes today after five month break South Australia's Parliament resumes today after a break of more than five months. The opening day is largely ceremonial and the Governor will outline the Labor Government's policy agenda. After the state poll on March 20, there are 12 new MPs to be sworn in. They include the youngest woman elected to an Australian parliament, 21-year-old Kelly Vincent, who has won a seat in the Upper House for the Dignity For Disability Party....
[Victoria] Man shot in head with nail gun A man was shot in the head with a nail gun at a Melbourne work site this morning. Ambulance Victoria say the 18-year-old man was injured when his boss accidentally fired the gun just before 10:00am (AEST). Intensive care paramedic Brett Wilson says the man was bending over when he was hurt. "The man told us he was picking up off-cuts from the fence and when he stood up his boss accidentally fired the nail gun," Mr Wilson said. "A six-centimetre nail went into the top of the man's head and was fully embedded....
Man shot at Gumeracha with dumped, homemade handgun Police are conducting forensic tests on a home-made pistol that went off and accidentally shot a road worker near Gumeracha in the Adelaide Hills. In a bizarre chain of events, two road workers unearthed a pillow case with a heavy object inside as they dug holes for safety barriers alongside the Gumeracha to Birdwood Rd about 10.30am. The pair used a work ute to drive to Gumeracha Hospital, about 5km away....
Machiavelli was right Many people know that they (Switzerland) practice neutrality, but not many know that they practice armed neutrality. If the gun controllers' claim that the mere presence of arms leads to mayhem were true, the Swiss would have wiped themselves out years ago. There are guns and gun ranges all over the place. You would be hard-pressed to find a Swiss home without a firearm and ammunition. If you were a robber or a rapist, who would you rather have as a victim? Someone who is armed, or someone who is defenseless? Even a stupid criminal knows the answer to that question. If the police can protect us – which is another claim the gun-control people make – then why are so many people murdered, raped and robbed? Even the television fictional stories tell you the answer to that. The cops get there after the crime has been committed. Otherwise, there wouldn't be a crime scene. Nearly all the cop shows open with the police looking at a dead, unarmed body....
More illegal weapons coming in according to Customs Flick knives and Freddy Krueger-inspired bladed gloves are among the growing number of dangerous illegal weapons smuggled into Australia, authorities say. In the past year Australian customs detected more than 16,000 bladed weapons brought in through airports and overseas cargo terminals. The number represents an 11 per cent increase since 2007. Some of the seized weapons displayed by Australian Customs officials on Monday appeared to have come straight from a Quentin Tarantino movie....
Drug gangs shoot 16 dead in Mexican border city Gunmen stormed into a bar, dragged out eight people and killed them in the parking lot, the first of several shootings in this violent border city Wednesday that left 16 dead, including a man in a wheelchair. In one incident, a car chase and shootout killed three people in front of an elementary school, creating a panic among students, teachers and parents. Battles between rival drug gangs have made Ciudad Juarez, across the border from El Paso, Texas, one of the world's deadliest cities. More than 800 people have been killed this year in the city of 1.3 million people....
Man denies conspiracy to menace witness against Finks bikie A man has denied taking part in a conspiracy to menace a Crown witness, saying his only crime is "being related to a bikie". Luigi Marzilli, 34, appeared in the Adelaide Magistrates Court today charged with threatening and attempting to dissuade a witness. It is alleged that, on multiple occasions last year and this year, Marzilli and a co-accused - who has yet to be arrested - menaced a man who cannot be named. Tomorrow, that man will give evidence against three men connected to the Finks Motorcycle Club....
Man arrested after pub holdup, high speed chase and rollover A Brompton man has been arrested after a hotel robbery, high speed chase and van roll-over. The string of events started when the man allegedly threatened staff at the Bombay Bicycle Club, Ovingham, with a shotgun demanding money at about 11.40am yesterday. A police spokesman said he escaped with a large amount of cash in a stolen Mitsubishi van....
Sporting and recreational shooting are popular pastimes in Ashmont More than half Ashmont's residents are licensed gun owners - one of the highest figures in NSW - according to figures released in State Parliament. There are a reported 2107 licensed gun owners in Ashmont, according to a report released last Friday, ranking it in the top five in the state along with Warilla (Wollongong), Canobolas (Orange), Goulburn and Dubbo. With Ashmont's estimated population a tick over 4000, the report indicates better than one in two have a gun licence, a ratio likely to be higher when an estimated 914 children aged under 11 are taken into account. Wagga police were not prepared to comment on the statistic yesterday without having first seen the report. The vice-president of the Wagga branch of the Sporting Shooters Association of Australia (SSAA), Greg Hannon, said sporting and recreational shooting were popular past-times in Wagga....
South Australian law 'violates the constitution' The full bench of the High Court in Canberra is now considering one of the most important constitutional cases brought before it in half a century. Constitutional lawyers compare its significance with the 1950s ruling about banning communism. This week’s case revolves around contentious SA legislation which takes away crucial powers from the courts and gives them to police and Senior Counsel. An independent SA review has already found that the new law “offends natural justice”. A subsequent legal challenge by two members of the Finks went to the Supreme Court, which found the law violates the constitution. Since no law can validly contradict the constitution, the Supreme Court ruled the new law was illegal....
Mobilong prison search uncovers contraband A 10-hour search of South Australia's Mobilong Prison has turned up a homemade weapon, drug equipment and other contraband. Correctional Services Minister Tom Koutsantonis said similar raids in recent months had uncovered more serious items and showed that prisoners would go to extreme lengths to hide illegal and unauthorised items. "We've made it tougher than ever to smuggle contraband into prisons, and were making it harder and harder for inmates to hold onto it, if they do manage to smuggle it inside," he said....
Elizabeth Police traffic stop yields unregistered handgun, etc. Elizabeth Police have arrested two men for numerous firearms offences after a routine traffic stop. At about 12.26am this morning police stopped the Nissan Skyline on Main North Road, Smithfield. Police searched the vehicle and located a handgun and ammunition. A 24 year old Smithfield man and a 19 year old Craigmore man were arrested and charged with being in possession of an unregistered firearm, having no firearms licence, insecure firearm, insecure ammunition and other firearm offences....
Federal politicians come under fire during Anzac Day gatherings Federal politicians came under fire this Anzac Day as thousands gathered in Adelaide's dawn light to pay their respects to Australia's war veterans. The largest Adelaide dawn service crowd in years spilled onto the streets in front of the city's War Memorial, with thousands also turning out hours later as ex-service people and their families marched to the Cross of Sacrifice. Anzac Day organising committee chairman Bill Denny told the crowd, of young and old, that neither side of Australian politics truly understood how servicemen and women placed their lives in the hands of the state. "This surrender of self is absolute," he said. "In response, it brings to the state an obligation to preserve the physical and mental wellbeing of those individuals, not only at the time of service but afterwards. "Military service is unique and the obligation it places on the state is enduring and inescapable....
Random breath test yields trio with guns and mask Police have found a gun, mask and gloves being carried by three men in a car pulled over for a random breath test. The Toyota sedan was pulled over at Hindmarsh for random breath testing about 2am. Senior Constable Rebecca Stokes said checks revealed the driver was unlicensed....
Australia pushes net censorship in Washington Australian government representatives have recently met US officials in Washington to discuss concerns over the forthcoming internet censorship regime raised by the US ambassador to Australia and the US State Department. Communications Minister Stephen Conroy has come under increasing pressure to reveal the content of discussions with US officials after the US State Department said it had "raised concerns" with Australia and the US ambassador said net censorship was not necessary. On ABC's Q&A program this month, US ambassador Jeffrey Bleich said the same goals set out by the government on cyber safety could be achieved without censorship. Bleich said the US was willing to "share our efforts" with Australia. He said: "The internet needs to be free. It needs to be free the way we have said the skies have to be free, outer space has to be free, the polar caps have to be free, the oceans have to be free. They're shared resources of all the people of the world...."
SA government defends bikie laws in High Court The South Australian government is defending its bikie laws in the High Court, arguing they have safeguards protecting civil liberties and the independence of magistrates. The SA Supreme Court has ruled invalid an aspect of the laws dealing with control orders preventing certain people associating, after a successful legal challenge from the Finks motorcycle club. Appealing that decision today, the state's solicitor-general Martin Hinton QC told the full bench of the High Court in Canberra that the laws are fair. Under South Australia's Serious and Organised Crime Control Act, the attorney-general can ask the police commissioner to seek a control order for members of a group suspected of "supporting or encouraging serious criminal activity"....
'Unique political alliance' to challenge 'deceptive how-to-vote cards' A unique political alliance between Family First and the Liberal Party will see a parliamentary inquiry into deceptive how-to-vote cards distributed by the ALP. “On election day, the Labor Party used its party members, wearing T-shirts emblazoned with a Family First slogan, to distribute how-to-vote cards, also bearing the Family First slogan, but directing preferences contrary to the registered Family First how-to-vote card,” the parties said in a joint statement this afternoon. “The ALP’s use of fake cards was a new low for SA politics.”
Pastoralist sues RSPCA for court costs after failed prosecution
Controversial grazier Thomas Brinkworth wants a court to award him higher than normal costs against the RSPCA after a botched animal cruelty investigation. The Adelaide Magistrates Court today heard the costs Mr Brinkworth seeks to go "significantly beyond" the court's schedule of fees - an official document that regulates the amount lawyers can charge for cases. Thomas and Patricia Brinkworth - two of the state's most prominent graziers - were accused of allowing about 800 cattle to suffer by being "gradually starved to death" during the drought in 2007. However, in January, the court ruled key evidence to be inadmissible. A bureaucratic bungle by a senior employee caused the problem. The RSPCA sacked that employee for misconduct. The Brinkworths and three of their employees were subsequently found not guilty of all 113 charges....
Attorney General rules out bill of rights The Federal Government says it will not be introducing a human rights act in Australia, but will release a new framework. An act was recommended by the national human rights consultation panel headed by law professor Father Frank Brennan. Attorney-General Robert McClelland says all new bills introduced to Parliament will have to be compatible with Australia's international human rights obligations. But he says the Government believes a human rights framework, rather than legislation, is more appropriate. "The Government believes that the enhancement of human rights should be done in a way that as far as possible unites rather than divides our community, and the framework is designed to achieve that outcome," he said. "Nevertheless, as you'll see, the framework does reflect the key recommendations of the human rights consultation committee and we believe [it] will make a real difference." Father Brennan says he is disappointed by the Government's decision....
Woman's death was 'not a random attack' A mystery car snapped by security cameras driving with its lights off could hold the key to solving the shooting murder of a Sturt mother this week. Major Crime detectives have named the mother shot dead in the home invasion as Karen Hodgson, 46. Ms Hodgson had called police several times in the past few months about incidents at her home, leading detectives to believe her murder was not a random attack. Police were last night intensifying their manhunt for the three masked intruders who burst into Ms Hodgson's Macklin St unit about 2.30am on Monday...
14 million guns sold in the United States last year Data released by the FBI’s National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) for the year reported 14,033,824 NICS Checks for the year of 2009, a 10 percent increase in gun purchases from the 12,709,023 reported in 2008. So far that is roughly 14,000,000+ guns bought last year! The total is probably more as many NICS background checks cover the purchase of more than one gun at a time by individuals. To put it in perspective that is more guns than the combined active armies of the top 21 countries in the world. countries by number of troops. Of the NICS background checks preformed less than and average .005% were denied, showing, overwhelmingly, that law abiding American citizens are the ones buying guns and that criminals are getting their guns elsewhere. This record year in firearms background checks show that Americans are solidly in-favor of exercising their civil right to Keep and Bear Arms. In a year were crime has reached an all time record low what is plainly clear is that more guns equal LESS CRIME....
SA backed by other states and the Commonwealth in High Court bikie fight The Commonwealth and states have moved to back South Australia in its High Court fight over contentious anti-gang laws. There has been a limbo since a South Australian court ruled part of the laws invalid. Whatever the outcome of the next week's proceedings, it will affect police efforts to clamp down on bikie-related violence. South Australia wants the High Court to restore a key part of its legal crackdown on bikies. Last year's Supreme Court decision to declare part of the laws invalid has thwarted police in trying to act against some motorcycle club members. A saner, more rational approach to this type of policing and legislation would certainly be welcome says Craig Caldicott a barrister representing the United Motorcycle Council, which is made up of the key motorcycle clubs. "There are a number of other states who have implemented similar legislation and they simply want to have their say," he said. "The Commonwealth is saying that you should have the right to appeal from the summary court to a superior court, very much in line with some of the most recent High Court judgment...."
Parolee shot by police sentenced to five years jail A parolee who was shot at by police after he pulled a gun on an officer has been sentenced to five years jail. David Peining, 28, had pleaded guilty to one count each of unlawful possession, threatening to cause harm, possessing a firearm without a licence and four counts of fraud involving a credit card. In sentencing today, District Court Judge Rauf Soulio said Peining had "panicked" when he was pulled over by the officer at the Fulham Gardens Shopping Centre in July 2008. "The police officer believed that he was about to be killed," Judge Soulio said....
Home invaders stab good samaritan in chest at Paralowie A northern suburbs man has been stabbed after coming to help a neighbour during a home invasion. One of the residents of a Young Blvd, Paralowie, home went outside to investigate noises in his backyard about 12.20 am. He was confronted and threatened by two men, one of them armed with a knife....
Hells Angels take on New Boys in Hindley Street clash Police fear innocent bystanders could be caught in the crossfire as tensions between the Hells Angels Motorcycle Club and rival gang New Boys reach boiling point. About 1.45am yesterday, 10 Hells Angels allegedly launched a brief but vicious attack on a group of New Boys outside the Ink Central tattoo parlour on Hindley St. "Weapons included steel bars, metal chains with padlocks attached, and a number of chairs were thrown during the fight," acting Detective Superintendent Steve Taylor said. Five Hells Angels members appeared in court yesterday charged with affray. A bedside hearing was held for one of the men, who had been taken to Royal Adelaide Hospital with a liver injury. Tensions between the Hells Angels and the New Boys have been steadily increasing since about 2008, when rival members were allegedly involved in a shootout in Gouger St in the city....
Former policeman warns of rise in police brutality A former policeman has warned of growing heavy handedness by WA police, as new figures show police brutality complaints have risen since the high-profile attack on Const. Matthew Butcher two years ago. Retired Supt David Parkinson said the zero tolerance approach encouraged by the police hierarchy in recent years had been misinterpreted by some inexperienced officers, many of whom suffered from a lack of proper supervision. Corruption and Crime Commission figures show that complaints for police brutality increased from 175 in 2007 to 202 the following year and 201 last year, while total complaints against police decreased slightly over that period. A CCC spokesman was unable to say how many of the complaints were substantiated. Mr Parkinson said there had been several cases in recent years of alleged violent behaviour by police which he said had been "unacceptable"....
Gun Control Gun control laws restrict the purchase or ownership of guns, weapons acquired mostly for defensive or sporting purposes. Gun control is unique among social programs in increasing the emotional and physical dependency of all citizens on government. Because gun control raises the dependence of citizens on government, its political effect is to shift the electorate leftward. The primary supporters of gun control are the liberal media and leftist politicians. In the United Kingdom, which already has the strictest gun control in Europe, leftists demand control over 120,000 deactivated guns, even though their activation and use constitute only 0.04% of all gun offenses there; fewer guns means greater dependency on government. Gun control is a denial or limitation by governments of the right to armed self-defense (sic)....
SA's major parties move to federal election war footing The major parties are moving to a federal election war footing in South Australia by zeroing in on candidates in key seats. The Liberals believe federal Sports Minister Kate Ellis is vulnerable in her seat of Adelaide, especially given the 15.4 per cent swing to the Liberals in the electorate at last month's state election. The Liberal Party has not set a closing date for nominations for preselection in Adelaide, which Ms Ellis holds by 8.5 per cent, but frontrunners include young conservative Sam Duluk and Luke Westley, the candidate for Enfield in last month's state election, who is backed by the moderate wing of the party....
Former deputy prime minister calls for inquiry into RSPCA raid Former deputy prime minister John Anderson is calling for a federal inquiry into the RSPCA's seizure of koalas from a zoo in north-west NSW in February. RSPCA officers alleged the eight animals had been mistreated before they were removed from Gunnedah's Waterways Wildlife Park, but have not laid animal cruelty charges against the park's owners. Mr Anderson will today be the MC at a rally supporting the wildlife park and says he is personally appalled at what seems to be heavy-handed tactics from the RSPCA....
Tasmanian governor delivers stinging rebuke to Bartlett Tasmanian Governor Peter Underwood has released his reasons for commissioning Labor to attempt to govern the state, and in doing so delivered a rebuke to the Premier. Mr Underwood said David Bartlett did not have the right to promise power to Liberal leader Will Hodgman. Mr Hodgman, meanwhile, says the events of the past few days show that the Liberals were outmanoeuvred by Labor lies. The Opposition Leader thought he was going to be the next premier but the Governor dashed his hopes yesterday afternoon. "Mr Hodgman advised me on the 8th of April that he didn't seek the support of the Greens party," Mr Underwood said in his statement. "My failure to be satisfied that Mr Hodgman had the support of the Labor party not to block supply and not to move a vote of no confidence, except in extreme circumstances, gave rise to a constitutional obligation on the part of the holder of the commission to form government...."
[Tasmania] Labor hangs on to power with Greens support Labor leader David Bartlett has strenuously denied reneging on any promises as he agreed yesterday to remain Tasmania's Premier. At 5pm Mr Bartlett was asked by Governor Peter Underwood to form a new Labor government, with its strength and stability to be tested as soon as Parliament is recalled. The move comes despite repeated statements by Mr Bartlett since the March 20 election that Labor wanted to go into opposition rather than be part of a minority government. It is a bitter blow to Liberal leader Will Hodgman, 40, who effectively claimed victory on election night three weeks ago for his Liberal team. The final result of the election left Labor and Liberals level on 10 seats apiece, with the Greens holding five....
Youth charged after claiming vehicle stolen at gunpoint A 15-year-old youth has been charged with creating a false belief and traffic offences after allegedly claiming the car he crashed had been stolen at gunpoint from the front yard of his Valley View home. Holden Hill police said they were told a masked offender had entered the yard of a Lindsay Ave home just before 11am. They were told a resident had been threatened at gunpoint before the offender stole a Ford utility....
Final make-up of Legislative Council declared Dignity for Disability’s Kelly Vincent won a seat in the Legislative Council today making her the youngest Member of Parliament to be elected in the Upper House.Ms Vincent was second on her party’s ticket, but has found herself elected after the shock death of lead candidate Paul Collier. “When Paul asked me to run second on the d4d ticket, he mentioned that I wouldn’t have to do much. I bet he’s looking down, laughing right about now,” she said. The D4D victory was acknowledged by all candidates speaking after the results. Also elected was Greens candidate Tammy Jennings who will step into parliament after a sleepless night. Labor won four seats, the Liberals four and the other three went to The Greens, Family First and Dignity for Disability one seat each. ...
SA upper house to be finalised Thursday morning The final make-up of the South Australia's Legislative Council will be declared on Thursday morning. The Greens' Tammy Jennings and Family First's Robert Brokenshire each secured one and Dignity for Disability, whose lead candidate died during the election campaign, is expected to gain the 11th position for its number two candidate on the voting paper, Kelly Vincent....
Canada poised to end long-gun registration After nearly 20 years, Canada appears poised to end one of its boldest experiments in gun control - the required registration of long guns, or shotguns and hunting rifles. Last November, a bill to abolish the Long-Gun Registry, enacted in 1995 and gradually phased in through 2003, passed a second reading in the Canadian House of Commons by a tally of 164 to 137. It faces a third and final reading in that chamber later this year; prospects are good for passage in the Canadian Senate. The bill would delete from federal law the obligation to register so-called nonrestricted firearms, though licensing requirements for long-gun owners to buy or possess firearms and to buy ammunition would remain in place. The legislation would also require all registration information collected to date to be destroyed....
Kangaroo meat: healthy but controversial A nondescript building on the edge of Adelaide houses the largest processor of kangaroo meat in Australia: Macromeats. There is no sign on the door. The trucks loading and unloading kangaroos don't advertise what they carry. On the outside, nothing reveals that 3,000 kangaroos are turned into steaks, sausages and minced meat here every day."I used to be compared to the folks who club baby seals," Macromeats owner Ray Borda said about the industry's image problem. Kangaroos are generally seen as cuddly animals and the mere thought of putting a 'Skippy' on the barbecue appals many Australians. "The government used to scorn me," Borda said. "But this year, I was asked to host a kangaroo barbecue in the parliament building...."
Why does Conroy insist on wearing a target on his back?
Oh, please, won't somebody please think of the children and jam Senator Conroy's head down a toilet or something. Because a communications minister who does not think that the Internet is something special, is a communications minister in need of a serious flushing. I'm not even going to go into detail on the manifest lunacy and downright creepy sense of national humiliation I feel burning its way up my face every time this guy opens his mouth. That's been taken care of by people with much bigger brains than me. People like Google, the Australian Consumers Association, former High Court Justice Michael Kirby, the US State Department and any number of experts from the telecommunications and Internet industries....
Wild dogs cost the country millions each year Wild dogs were costing Queensland's grazing industries more than $67 million a year, new figures show. A 2008/09 survey into the costs of wild dogs has staggered the state's peak grazing lobby AgForce. It is not just sheep that were liable to attacks by the predators, with the cattle industry suffering losses worth $40 million last year. The report provided a comprehensive understanding of the individual cost to production from the predators, AgForce Sheep and Wool president Brent Finlay said. Mr Finlay, who will chair the new Queensland Dog Offensive Group, said industry surveys indicated estimated annual costs of $22 million in calf losses statewide, more than $2 million in downgrades for dog-bitten cattle, more than $16 million spent on wild dog management and many other costs to the beef industry associated with diseases spread by wild dogs....
PETA's pet killing sets new record in 2009
Animal lovers worldwide now have access to more than a decade’s worth of proof that People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) kills thousands of defenseless pets at its Norfolk, Virginia headquarters. Since 1998, PETA has opted to “put down” 23,640 adoptable dogs, cats, puppies, and kittens instead of finding homes for them. PETA’s “Animal Record” report for 2009, filed with the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, shows that the animal rights group killed 97 percent of the dogs and cats in its care last year. During all of 2009, PETA found adoptive homes for just eight pets. Just eight animals -- out of the 2,366 it took in. PETA just broke its own record....
Prisoner shooting raises questions over gun use The shooting of an escaping prisoner by prison guards has raised questions about their powers and the procedures covering escape attempts. Police are investigating the incident on Saturday in which the accused murderer Luke John Cotterill was shot three times by officers when running from the prison van after appearing to hang himself with a seatbelt. It is understood he was handcuffed. Mr Cotterill, who is accused of stabbing to death a classmate, Michelle Morrissey, a week earlier in Mudgee, remains in a stable condition in hospital. He is due to undergo a second operation today. Unlike police, prison officers are apparently permitted to shoot at escaping prisoners. The president of the Criminal Defence Lawyers Association, the barrister Phillip Boulten, SC, said the law governing the shooting of ''fleeing felons'' was a grey area. ''It is hoped that in a civilised society prison officers in a difficult position would only resort to potentially lethal force if they thought it was reasonably necessary to do so....''
War on RSL's publicly displayed weapons Hundreds of harmless historic RSL displays, containing rifles, machineguns and cannons, may have to be removed from public view because they are unlicensed. The red tape farce, which will hit clubs throughout Queensland, was triggered in Cooktown in the far north where police last week confiscated two guns – including a replica firearm made entirely of wood. Cooktown RSL members have lashed out at the crackdown that requires them to prove the guns are inactive following a complaint from a local pacifist who felt the weapons promoted war and violence. RSL Queensland chief executive Chris McHugh yesterday admitted an unknown quantity of weapons on display in more than 80 clubs across the state would have to be taken down if found to be unlicensed....
Arrests made over $100m illegal drug lab, illegal firearms Adelaide police say a drug haul at suburban Salisbury Plains is the largest made in South Australia. Three people have been arrested in connection with the seizure. Police allege chemicals they found could have manufactured drugs worth about $100 million. About 1,500 litres of toxic waste and 2,500 litres of solvents were also allegedly found. Police said it would be enough to destroy the property if ignited. Police say they cannot rule out links with motorcycle gangs....
Duck protests follow an entirely predictable pattern The public response to this year's duck season has been entirely predictable, for it has followed a familiar pattern. Most vociferous are those who oppose hunting, with supporters of the Coalition Against Duck Shooting prominent in the front line. Once again, the Department of Sustainability and Environment copped an opening salvo, in which hunting's opponents alleged DSE staff are "not qualified" to advise the Minister about duck seasons. In reality, the reverse is true, for the DSE has a deep well of cutting-edge expertise. Its biologists and wildlife managers are professional scientists with extensive field experience and their fingers on the pulse of sustainability.... Read Story 0510
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