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News Alerts, February 2010
SSAA-SA President updates statement on large calibre rifles The SSAA's stance is to argue and fight these and any other restrictions as they occur. SSAA SA has a meeting tomorrow where we will decide what our next course of action is, now that we have the information and not just rumours. In the mean time I'm sure that writing to your local member and federal member will do no harm if you express your concerns in a clear and concise way....
Communications Minister censors his own website The minister in charge of the Government's web censorship plan has been caught out censoring his own website. The front page of Communications Minister Stephen Conroy's official website displays a list of topics connected to his portfolio, along with links to more information about each one. All the usual topics are there – cyber safety, the national broadband network, broadcasters ABC and SBS, digital television and so on. All except one. It was revealed today a script within the minister's homepage deliberately removes references to internet filtering from the list. In the function that creates the list, or "tag cloud", there is a condition that if the words "ISP filtering" appear they should be skipped and not displayed....
Facebook campaign forces
back-flip by Australian wine company
Conservationist claims pig shooters do little to reduce feral populations A conservationist claims pig hunters aren't doing much to rid Australia of the pest animals. Each year, feral pigs are estimated to cost Australia nearly $110 million in agricultural damage alone. Recreational hunting is a favourite pastime of many people in regional areas, but Dr Carol Booth, from the Invasive Species Council, says uncoordinated shooting does little to reduce feral populations....
Australian Labor senator
opposes 'Conroy ISP filter'
[Canada] Replica guns should be licensed according to 'safety advocates and police'
Replica guns should be licensed and registered just like the real thing, say safety advocates and police. In recent years, police officers across the country have shot and killed several people holding guns that later turned out to be replicas. The Canada Safety Council has approached police to push for gun replicas to be regulated under the federal Firearms Act, said council president Emile Thérien. That would require them to be licensed and registered. The Ottawa Police Services Board supports that proposal and is asking its provincial and federal counterparts to lobby for the changes. Acting Staff Sgt. Mark Patterson of the Ottawa police guns and gangs unit said it's often difficult for police officers to tell a real gun from a replica during threatening situations like armed robberies. One comment says, ."....replica firearms are prohibited in Canada and have been all decade. Next to committing a crime with a firearm, possessing prohibited firearms is about as serious an offence that you can commit. So why the problem then?" What infuriates me are people/groups/politicians proposing laws that already exist, or wanting changes to laws they don't even understand....
Report on meeting with SA Police on large calibre firearms The South Australian President of SSAA-SA and other members of the Executive met with the Deputy Registrar of Firearms, Chief Inspector Langmead, on the matter of large calibre firearms. The object of the meeting was to ascertain the full story about what is happening with large calibre firearms. Five members of Firearms Branch were also present.
American States eye the relaxation of gun laws When President Obama took office, gun rights advocates sounded the alarm, warning that he intended to strip them of their arms and ammunition. And yet the opposite is happening. Mr. Obama has been largely silent on the issue while states are engaged in a new and largely successful push for expanded gun rights, even passing measures that have been rejected in the past. In Virginia, the General Assembly approved a bill last week that allows people to carry concealed weapons in bars and restaurants that serve alcohol....
State Election: Last minute compromise saves election show A last-minute compromise has saved voters from going to the March 20 election without a head-to-head debate between the Labor and Liberal leaders. It will now be staged on March 3 after negotiations over the proposed debate on Channel 10 had descended into farce with five dates proposed by Labor and four by the Liberals but neither side agreeing. Premier Mike Rann had agreed to a debate, seen as a key element of state election campaigns on March 2, although at one stage he had proposed to Ten several other dates in February but Opposition Leader Isobel Redmond ruled out March 2 because of a previous engagement....
Cop that Mike Rann! ─ Residents in US nursing home form a Biker Gang "This is a frightened city. Over these houses, over these streets hangs a pall of fear. Fear of a new kind of violence which is terrorizing the city. Yes, gangs of old ladies attacking defenceless fit young men."--"Hell's Grannies," from "Monty Python's Flying Circus," originally aired Dec. 7, 1969. - "--headline, WMAQ-TV (Chicago), Feb. 23, 2009....
Port bans transhipment of reloading powder Ports of Auckland says it will not allow potentially explosive firearms powder to be stored on its wharves, despite a Government permit for that purpose. Approval from the Environmental Risk Management Authority (Erma) for four containers, each holding up to 14 tonnes of the smokeless power, to be shipped through Auckland this year en route from Australia to California has upset Friends of the Earth and will be raised at a meeting tomorrow night of a port community reference forum. Friends of the Earth spokesman Bob Tait, a member of the port's community reference group, and residents' representatives who intend raising the issue at tomorrow's meeting, were not reassured by the port company's statement. "I wouldn't like to see it being towed by the diesel tractor through the streets of Auckland with a sign 150mm high saying 'explosives'," Mr Tait said....
[WA] Police raid Finks
clubhouse after concert drug and gun arrest
State Election: Suddenly, the state government is looking vulnerable
Chicago handgun ban under challenge in US Supreme Court The central issue in the case, set for argument March 2, is whether the Constitution’s Second Amendment applies to state and local gun laws, in addition to those enacted by the federal government and District of Columbia. When the court in 2008 struck down D.C.’s handgun ban and declared that the Second Amendment protects individual Rights, the five justices in the majority suggested the court eventually would bind states and cities. How the court takes that step, known as “incorporation,” may prove as important as if it does so. Some gun-control groups are effectively conceding incorporation, instead asking the court to say that states and cities can still enact “reasonable” regulations. That might leave intact sales restrictions and bans on concealed weapons and particular types of guns. “Given that the five justices who ruled against D.C. are still on the court, it’s going to be tough to flip any one of those votes,” said Paul Helmke , president of the Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence in Washington. “We want to make sure that if Chicago loses that other gun laws that Chicago might adopt or other cities might adopt are upheld....” Read Story
Malcolm Fraser memoir attacks John Howard "mythology" Malcolm Fraser has sought to recast his political legacy by attacking the "mythology" promoted by John Howard and the modern Liberal Party that he was an opponent of financial reform and a do-nothing leader. In his long-awaited memoir, Mr Fraser says that, as prime minister from 1975 until 1983, he was an activist who laid the foundations of a new financial era in the face of stiff opposition from the Treasury and the Reserve Bank. The book accuses Mr Howard of misrepresenting Mr Fraser's achievements as leader, of welcoming his election defeat and of abandoning the Fraser government's legacy of tolerance towards refugees. "I wanted to challenge the mythology that I was opposed to the deregulation of financial markets,' Mr Fraser told The Weekend Australian before the upcoming release of Malcolm Fraser: The Political Memoirs. The book, which was co-written by Mr Fraser and journalist Margaret Simons, claims the then prime minister was robbed of due credit for these achievements by his treasurer, Mr Howard, who sought to claim credit for financial reforms during the Fraser government....
Homeland Security officers
lose 298 guns in two years
Australian winemaker faces backlash in the US for donation to HSUS A major Australian wine exporter facing a backlash in the United States for donating to a key animal rights group says it will take its support elsewhere in the future. The $100,000 donation by Yellow Tail Wines to the Humane Society of the United States' (HSUS) animal rescue program has prompted a flurry of angry online postings in the US calling for people to boycott the wine. The HSUS describes itself as the United States' largest and most effective animal protection organisation and it sponsors workshops that teach people how to lobby for animal protection laws. In response to the donation, a page called Yellow Fail has been set up on the Facebook social networking site and has attracted more than 3,000 fans. A rancher from South Dakota has posted an online video of himself pouring the wine onto the snow in front of his cattle and urging others to do the same....
Finnish government commission proposes semi-auto pistol ban "A Finnish government commission on Wednesday proposed a ban on semiautomatic handguns after two school shootings in recent years left 20 people dead. The ban, which needs parliamentary approval, would sharply reduce the number of legal weapons in a country that ranks among the world's top five in civilian gun ownership. "We've had a very weapon-friendly culture," commission chairman Pekka Sauri said. "In carrying out the proposals we would, of course, pay compensation to anyone who turns in weapons." Pekka Aho, commission board member and Inspector General of the Finnish Police, lodged a dissenting view on gun ownership in the recommendations of the nine-member commission. "I believe that the practice of responsible gun sports should be preserved in Finland," Aho said. "This recommendation, however, would not remove illegal semiautomatic handguns in Finland ... and in practice it would put an end to sport shooting, even Olympic events which require the use of semiautomatic handguns...."
[Tasmania] On-line election comment laws impractical says internet group A Tasmanian information technology consumer group has called for a relaxation of the laws covering political comment on the internet. The state's electoral laws require all electoral material posted on the internet to be accompanied by the individual's full name and address. The law would be applied to people posting comments on news sites and social networking pages....
One-time Democrat state leader, Sandra Kanck, nominates for parliament Veteran politician Sandra Kanck is rejoining the political fray, standing for her former party, the Democrats, at next month's election. Ms Kanck retired in January last year, after 15 years in Parliament, and was replaced by David Winderlich. Mr Winderlich then quit the Democrats and now sits as an independent.... Read Story
[Victoria] Duck hunting under attack SSAA National Alert: This 'poll' was reported on the Vic. premier's website - "Despite 82% of our native waterbirds disappearing since 1989, 13 years of drought and the worst bush fires on record..... The State Government is holding another Duck Shooting Season for 2010. The 2010 season has been extended for an extra two weeks longer than last year's season and the number of birds that hunters can kill has been increased. Duck Season '10 goes against the wishes of the majority of Victorians and is undemocratic. Ducks don't vote but we can! Also, 12 year old children are legally allowed to be out there with shot guns...."
[UK] Man defending family cleared after attacking home invader with Samurai sword A father who defended his family from drug-crazed thugs by wounding one with a Samurai sword has been cleared by a jury. David Fullard, 47, was prosecuted for attacking the two strangers who forced their way into his home and threatened to rape his partner and kill his two teenage children. He insisted he was a desperate man acting legally in self-defence and struck out once with the ornamental sword, because it was the only weapon to hand. The prosecution refused to accept that his actions amounted to lawful self-defence and argued it was 'over the top' to attack a man armed with a knuckleduster by using a 'battlefield weapon'. The two thugs were both high on a cocktail of drink and drugs at the time, the court heard....
Man arrested over spate of shotgun robberies A man has been arrested at Pooraka over a series of armed hold-ups in Adelaide's northern suburbs. Organised Crime Investigation Branch and Holden Hill detectives made the arrest at a Pooraka address just after 5pm yesterday, following raids on three northern suburbs properties earlier in the day. They had been investigating a spate of at least 10 armed robberies on "soft targets" in the Pooraka and Virginia area since January 24, which they believed had been committed by the same offender. The robberies focused on easy targets with moderate security and netted the offender about $5500. Police acted on CCTV footage from the latest robbery at a Pooraka post office on Monday, in which a man wearing a camouflage jacket rushed into the store demanding money. Detectives were worried the bandit, who they believe used an Italian-made Franchi SPARS12 semi-automatic combat shotgun banned in South Australia since 1998, would seriously injure or kill someone....
State Election: Michelle Chantelois demands five-year-old security camera footage Michelle Chantelois has turned the state election campaign into a soap opera, mixing sex and politics on a grand scale. Now the woman who claims she had a sexual affair with Premier Mike Rann no longer looks the rookie actress caught in, and bewildered by, the spotlight. It is she who is promising voters the next episode, calling the shots and directing the drama by turning up at red-carpet events, presenting lie detector test results and calling for CCTV footage to serve as the out-takes which will damn her leading man. Mr Rann's cool, calm and in-control demeanour takes a pounding with every new episode. MS Chantelois has effectively derailed Labor's election campaign by ensuring the Premier must continually defend his integrity, instead of promoting Government initiatives....
State Election: Attorney-General accuses gamers of 'hanging around
doorstep at 2am'.
Gun control: The bitter irony We read with horror about yet another mass slaughter in our Mexican border city, Juarez, on the last day of January when 18 young persons were killed in cold blood at a festive event. This story is now being repeated all over Mexico, particularly in the northern tier of states. There is a terrible irony about the current wave of deaths occurring from out-of-control shootings, many with fully automatic weapons. The principle irony is this. To my knowledge, Mexico has the toughest gun control laws in the Western Hemisphere…in spite of extremely rigid and restrictive gun control laws, often the wrong people in Mexico still have the guns. Now, unregistered gun ownership has hugely increased among the Mexican cartels and gangs. The average citizen is unarmed and often helpless in regard to self defense....
Australian net censorship likened to Chinese style stifling Recent DDoS chaos on the Australian internet may have been great fun for all involved – but behind the good-humoured anarchy lies a growing concern that the government really does have a dark and Big Brotherly vision for the future of politics in the country. As reported in The Register this week, groups exasperated by government plans for a mandatory firewall that will censor far more than the child porn material claimed, finally resorted to long-promised direct action, with a short and successful DDoS attack on government sites and offices. At its peak, the attacks floored Australia's parliamentary website for around an hour as well as having serious impact on The Department of Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy website. Communications Minister Stephen Conroy responded by branding those who carried out the attacks "irresponsible". This is the stock response of officialdom to direct action that causes any form of inconvenience: however, such action has a long and distinguished pedigree, with supporters arguing it is absolutely justified where existing political mechanisms do not give voice to a significant point of view....
Should you be allowed to own a gun for self defence? We buy life insurance to provide for our loved ones if we should die. And we keep a self defense gun in case we should ever be faced with mortal danger to ourselves or those who rely on us to protect them. Interestingly, nations that have made it illegal for private people to defend their homes with self defense guns have seen a sharp rise in crime; e.g.: Australia with a 45% increase in armed robberies, and England with an almost 50% rise in self defense gun crimes. Japan with the world's strictest self defense gun controls still suffers from a murder rate similar to that of Switzerland, one of the most gun-intensive societies on earth. Inside the US: murder rates in Washington, DC, went up after its self defense gun ban, while they dropped elsewhere in the country....
2010 South Australian duck and quail seasons declared A duck season has been declared in South Australia from March 27 to June 27, 2010. The daily bag limit will be six ducks per hunter per day. A maximum of two Pacific Black Duck a day will be counted in the daily limit of six. The daily limit is half the historical daily bag limit of 12 per hunter per day. The 2010 quail season will run from 3 April until July 25 with a bag limit of 15 per day. The historical full bag limit is 25 quail per day. Environment and Conservation Minister Jay Weatherill announced the seasons yesterday....
Google baulks at Conroy's call to censor YouTube Google says it will not "voluntarily" comply with the government's request that it censor YouTube videos in accordance with broad "refused classification" (RC) content rules. Communications Minister Stephen Conroy referred to Google's censorship on behalf of the Chinese and Thai governments in making his case for the company to impose censorship locally. Google warns this would lead to the removal of many politically controversial, but harmless, YouTube clips. University of Sydney associate professor Bjorn Landfeldt, one of Australia's top communications experts, said that to comply with Conroy's request Google "would have to install a filter along the lines of what they actually have in China"....
Finks lawyer expected High Court's control order ruling The High Court has granted the South Australian Government the chance to appeal against an earlier ruling that part of its bikies control order legislation is invalid. In a majority decision last year, SA's Supreme Court ruled invalid part of the legislation allowing for control orders to be made against known bikies. The court found the independence of magistrates was undermined because the legislation gave them no choice but to make the orders....
Pauline Hanson will not run in this year's federal election Firebrand former politician Pauline Hanson says she won't be a candidate at this year's federal election, despite suggestions the current political climate would suit her. Canberra press gallery commentators have speculated that some of the elements of populism and electoral anger that fed support for Ms Hanson in the late 1990s have returned to national politics. It has been argued a surge of illegal boat arrivals, concerns over the sale of Australian resources and the climate change debate could work in Ms Hanson's favour to secure a Senate seat in Queensland. "I'm never running again," the former One Nation leader said....
Sneaky wabbits
Munno Para man arrested over Enfield bomb blast A man is being questioned by police over a car bomb which exploded in Enfield this morning, killing a known drug dealer and another man. The man, 30, was arrested at a Munno Para West house this afternoon by detectives investigating the explosion, which destoyed a late-model gold Commodore sedan in Truscott Rd, Enfield, at 5.20am. Police are expected to charge the man with firearms and explosives offences after seizing explosive devices from the house believed to be similar to those used to blow up the car. They also seized 17 cannabis plants from the house, which was occupied by the 31-year-old man killed today at Enfield. They have not discounted possible links between today's car bombing and organised crime....
Adelaide car blast, two dead, criminal link suspected Police say there is a criminal link to a car explosion which has killed two people in a suburban street at Enfield in Adelaide's northern suburbs. The blast happened just before 5:30am ACDT in Truscott Road. It was so strong that windows shattered in nearby houses. Debris from the car is strewn across a wide area....
Home invasion terror recounted in Hobart court Young Hobart woman Amalia Oxley today recounted how four men burst through the front door of her boyfriend Beau Buracchi's unit at Lindisfarne demanding drugs on July 5 last year. Ms Oxley told the Supreme Court in Hobart that one of the men was wielding a baton and struck Mr Buracchi to the face with it. She said the intruders then forced their way into a bedroom where Mr Buracchi and his friends including Daniel Johnstone had tried to barricade themselves. "I could hear the baton actually hitting something ... I could hear Daniel screaming for his life," she said....
Thief armed with coffee robs amusement arcade
A thief in the German town of Hamelin has robbed an
amusement arcade by threatening the attendant with a
cup of coffee. "He wasn't going to pour coffee
over her, he was going to hit her with the cup," a
spokesman for local police said. "We don't want to
encourage others to try this," the spokesman
said....
Uni SA law professor mulls
running in Liberal held federal seat
Police refuse request for laser speed detector test on 'commercial confidentiality' grounds Independent MP Bob Such has gone to trial over a $300 speeding fine, arguing laser guns can be inaccurate. His lawyer asked that a technical manual and a laser be provided to the defence for independent testing. Police have refused, citing commercial confidentiality....
South Australia moves into official election mode
Bitter internal dispute splits Wilderness Society The bitter internal dispute that has split the Wilderness Society has widened after management engaged lawyers to try to shut down Saturday's meeting of disaffected members and staff. The Sunday Age revealed last week that the 45,000-member organisation had been torn apart by an internal rift. The majority of the group's campaigners are calling on seasoned executive director Alec Marr to step down amid claims of bullying, money wasting and secret board meetings. The threat of legal action comes as Karen Alexander, one of the co-founders of the Wilderness Society in Melbourne, said she was appalled over the actions of Mr Marr and his management....
Impossible shots ─ The Old Sniper It was a simple question 84-year old Ted Gundy put to the guys at Shooting USA's Impossible Shots: "How is it possible for snipers today to hit targets from such long ranges?" From most of us, it would have been a gee-whiz kind of question, the kind that gets a polite "thanks for watching, snipers use...." kind of form letter response. But Ted Gundy wasn't just another TV fan. Gunday was asking about today, based on his own experiences from yesterday. In 1944, Ted Gundy was an army sniper fighting World War II in Europe. More specifically, fighting in the cold and horrible conditions of the Battle of the Bulge, the definitive name in United States Army combat - still the largest battle ever fought by United States troops....
More feral pigs outnumber humans in Australia
Giant feral pigs roaming the eastern fringes of Perth, Western Australia are contaminating the city's drinking water - sparking an official cull. The Perth Sunday Times reports parasites from pig excrement have been found in surface-water catchments and Water Department director John Ruprecht said it cost millions of dollars to treat and purify the water once it had been contaminated. The feral pigs, which reportedly weigh up to 120kg, are being caught in traps and then shot. Ruprecht said there were more feral pigs than people in Australia, with 24 million of the beasts compared to a human population of about 21 million....
South Australia's history of spectacular clashes.... South Australia's history of spectacular clashes between politicians, the judiciary and the media found a new chapter this week when a mess of eggs ended up on the face of the Attorney-General, forcing a humiliating backflip over internet censorship. The episode centred on a package of amendments to the Electoral Act, decreeing that online comments posted during a state election must show the real name and postcode of the person posting them. Website hosts would be required to retain that information for six months after the election, or risk a fine. The restrictions could even apply to social sites such as Facebook and Twitter....
Don't worry, be happy, says state's Attorney-General South Australia’s Labor tacticians were in panic. With an election in just six weeks, the state’s Attorney-General, the irascible Michael Atkinson, hit the headlines in a way that could make an experienced campaigner crawl into a cave and roll a rock over the entrance. Atkinson was derailing four years of work by Premier Mike Rann and his team to be comfortably returned on March 20. On March 5 last year, Atkinson introduced legislation to change the SA Electoral Act. Parliament went nuts. Even in the Lower House the Government amended its own Bill to water it down a little. When the Bill arrived in the Upper House the Government leader, Paul Holloway, sensing trouble, assured the House that full disclosure of names and addresses “applies to the internet to electronic versions of a journal rather than any electronic publication on the internet”. On that basis, the Opposition and Greens passed that part of the Bill, and on the insistence of the Liberal Opposition, election posters on Stobie poles would not be banned until after this election. But after Parliament agreed to these changes, with amendments, Atkinson said the new Act actually does include blogs, Twitter and comments to news sites like The Independent Weekly website....
Election 2010 ─ New poll puts Liberals in front A poll of 539 voters state-wide on Wednesday night puts the Liberals back in the election race and capable of forcing an upset victory on March 20. In a major blow for the Government, only 34 per cent of people polled said they trusted Mr Rann. Fifty-one per cent said they trusted Liberal Leader Isobel Redmond. It is the first time an Advertiser poll has asked which leader is regarded as more trustworthy. After the distribution of preferences, the two-party vote is 52 per cent to 48 per cent in favour of Labor. Ms Redmond's approval rating has leapt to 75 per cent, the same as Mr Rann's, who only months ago had a rating of 81 per cent....
In Britain, a citizen is attacked in their own home by a violent burglar every 30 minutes Recent statistics from Britain indicate that a citizen is attacked in their own home by a violent burglar once every 30 minutes. In a knee-jerk reaction to a pair of high-profile shootings, the British government enacted strict gun control at the national level. These anti gun laws went as far as to ban the .22 target pistols used by the British Olympic Pistol Team, forcing those athletes to go to Switzerland and France to practice their sport. However, the gun ban laws didn’t stop criminals from acquiring and misusing guns. Instead, British criminals buy their guns the black market, or simply manufacture their own illegal guns. Crime statistics reflect this fact, showing a 40% increase in handgun related crime in the first two years after the gun ban took effect, and a doubling of gun-related crime in the first decade after the gun ban took effect....
Police advise, 'don't resist armed offender' South Australian police are hunting a dangerous man they blame for five armed robberies in the past 10 days. Operation Counteract detectives are blaming the same offender for hold-ups on service stations and shops at Pooraka and Virginia in northern Adelaide.
Attorney General will move to repeal censorship law immediately Attorney-General Michael Atkinson will move immediately to repeal controversial laws which sparked an outcry over censorship of the internet. After backing down late last night to say the laws would not be put into effect, Mr Atkinson told reporters he would follow the advice of Opposition legal affairs spokeswoman Vickie Chapman and use a section of the Electoral Act to immediately repeal the section. Earlier, Mr Atkinson said it would be repealed but could not do it until after the election and had promised that no action would be taken against internet users during the election campaign. But after comments from Ms Chapman that it could be done, Mr Atkinson said he had decided to act immediately and paid tribute to Ms Chapman for her suggestion....
SSAA Para Branch website set to come on line tonight ─ February 3rd. 2010 New SSAA Para Branch website will come on line tonight, February 3, 2010. The site will be available by clicking on this link:
State AG will repeal internet censorship law ─ after the state election South Australia's Attorney-General Michael Atkinson has made a "humiliating" backdown and announced he will repeal his law censoring internet comment on the state election. After a furious reaction (from voters), Mr Atkinson released this statement at 10pm last night: "From the feedback we've received through AdelaideNow, the blogging generation believes that the law supported by all MPs and all political parties is unduly restrictive. "I have listened. I will immediately after the election move to repeal the law retrospectively." Mr Atkinson said the law would not be enforced for comments posted on (websites) during the upcoming election campaign, even though it was technically applicable....
[NSW] Bandido charged with lying over club membership A high ranking bikie has been charged with lying about his membership of the Bandidos outlaw motorcycle gang. Police allege the 28-year-old last month signed a statutory declaration declaring he had left the Bandidos. But he was arrested in Parramatta yesterday after investigations by Strike Force Raptor found he was still a member of the club....
Salisbury Downs shooting:
Three men sought
men over a shooting. Residents of Antrim Street reported hearing two shots just after 7:30am ACDT. An injured man, 32, has been rushed to the Royal Adelaide Hospital and is in a stable condition with a wound to the thigh....
SA Govt defends internet 'censorship' South Australia's Attorney-General has defended tougher laws on political comment made on the internet. During election periods, anyone posting comment or blogs must publish their real name and postcode. Michael Atkinson says it has long been a requirement that newspapers verify personal details for letters published during election periods. He says the new law, which has applied since early last month, ensures the public's right to know. "[It's really about] the right to know who's making a comment during an election period," he said. "It will only apply to newspapers and extensions of newspapers.... Read Story 02-10 |
"From being a foregone conclusion not so long ago,
with a tightly disciplined and ascendant Rann
Government seemingly assured of a third term in
office, we now have a contest. Government stumbles -
from dumping internet censorship laws through to
backflipping on plans to punt most eye surgery from
the RAH - give the impression of a government that
has lost some of its smooth control. Minor parties
and disgruntled lobby groups also are making their
presence felt, whether it be the Save the RAH Party,
people angry over land-swap deals or those
despairing about the plight of the Lower Lakes.
These are just more than passing annoyances for a
government - they focus public attention on whether
they are doing their best for the public or becoming
so comfortable with power that they have lost touch
with the people."