Legal
TED GETS TOUGH: Vic Libs show true grit pledging to scrap suspended sentences
Victorian Opposition Leader Ted Baillieu – frequently derided for his genteel and small ‘l’ liberal approach to politics – has boldly started a law and order auction that could see him elected Premier come November 26th.
His announcement – given exclusively to the Herald Sun – that the Coalition would scrap suspended sentences is a perfect start to the pre-election campaign for the Liberals.
For a time Baillieu petulantly refused to work with the state’s popular newspaper at all, favouring his friends at The Age, who know doubt choked on their organic muesli this morning seeing how their Red Ted had finally grown a pair. And figured out that singing to the Age’s dwindling audience is mostly a waste of time.
The Herald Sun gave the yarn a great run too, splashing on the front page “LOCK ‘EM UP”. Brilliant.
Whether the legislature ought give judges the maximum amount of flexibility in dealing with those convicted of crimes, including keeping them out of jail wherever possible given the damaging effects of incarceration and the high cost of it to the taxpayer is one thing.
This is a blatant – and brilliant – appeal to the vast majority of Victorians who abide by the law and think those who don’t get off lightly.
The policy will cost many tens of millions of dollars, possibly more.
But a newly elected Liberal government will regard it as money well spent if this approach wrong-foots a government that has often allowed its high-ranking left-wing lawyer and Attorney-General Rob Hulls to get his own way on pretty much everything.
Hulls has gone some of the way down the path of scrapping suspended sentences himself, which the government’s own Sentencing Advisory Council has criticised for being ineffective in discouraging reoffending.
Now the challenge for this ten year old government is to prove they are not the complacent latte sippers some in Labor circles fear they have become.
They can do that by asking what would (former NSW Premier) Bob Carr do if so provoked? Carr refused to be out-bid by Liberal opponents on law and order, arguing quite correctly that the victims of crime are almost always the most vulnerable and disadvantaged members of our community and that if Labor wasn’t willing to stand up for them then it really stood for nothing.
After four long years on the job, Liberal Leader Ted Baillieu has shown his first significant sign of standing up for principle and clearly differentiating from the government in a way that will resonate with voters in suburban Melbourne and regional Victoria.
We’re still too shocked to congratulate him enough.
If he keeps on like this, which we concede isn’t likely given his form, the Coalition at $4.30 will look like excellent value.
Discussion
48 comments for “TED GETS TOUGH: Vic Libs show true grit pledging to scrap suspended sentences”
Post a comment
Oh, Ted darling, it is too late to become a proper Opposition Leader. Terry – Ceaser is ruining the Republic, put in your diary the Ides of March and go for it!
I’m a great fan of Ted, but he is on the wrong track with this idea. In fixing the problem of under-sentencing for serious crimes he will create a much larger problem of sentencing for misdemeanours.
It will backfire badly unless sentencing options are also adjusted to allow for circumstances such as genuine mistakes by the offender where there has been no damage caused; or where neither the offender nor the public will benefit from a a custodial sentence.
Oh, and where will the extra prison beds come from? Are we going to recommission the old prisons around the state, such as Bendigo and Ararat, just to cope with minor offenders?
Poor old “Ceaser”.
The end is coming.
ted is useless
most people will see straight through it
kind of like his ears- you can see srtaight through them
this is a perfect time to announce the new leader of the liberal party Terry Mulder
If you want to see the effects of a ‘tough on crime’ auction you need look no further than WA where those feeble minded pig swill who purport to run government have fucked it up big time. The auction has led to confiscation of property before conviction with the onus of proof shifted to the accused. Today this state government is preparing to pay over 6 million dollars to Nigel Cunningham Mansfield in compensation for freezing his assets since 2002 and he has never been charged or convicted of a criminal offence – ever! Morality fever is the driving force behind the ‘get tough on crime ‘ auctions. It’s bullshit and the public are the losers. The two party system with a penchant for working with the newspapers is a crock of shit and the innocent pay the price. Parliament is no more than a place to announce government and opposition policy. The serious debating of Bills is a thing of the past, mostly Bills are pushed through – consider how quickly the anti-terrorism legislation went through allowing for citizens to be held in custody without charge. Australia is quickly becoming one of those countries we like to rail against because they aren’t ‘democratic’ enough for our liking. Politicians have become like the dog shit on our shoes and just as smelly.
Go Tud. Uts about time thut violent cruminals like thut pruck Turry Clarke gut suntunced to long strutches of pruzzon.
For too long I huve luved in fear thut some low life scumbug wud steal my jandals or my chullybun or even kull me while I was walking down the street.
Tud huz my vote.
a few cheap healines hammering poor old Laura Norder over the summer silly season. it’s a start… what Ted needs now is to lock in his relationship with his new friends at westgate park. if Teh Hun gets behind him, Brumby and his pack of Gen Y slacker advisors may have to wake up.
Is this how Ted will appease the unions…get ‘em to build jails?
You are a tool, Ted.
No wonder Rob laughs at you.
Fine by me Ted! At least you’ve come out of hiding. Good policy, good response. Now, let’s here some good policy on Water, Education, Public Transport, Health, Police and Emergency Services, Human Services, The Department of Smoke and Embers, State Debt, PS numbers, etc, etc, etc, and we might even get over the line!
Not long to go Ted – only until Nov 27th. 45 weeks + two days. That’s 317 days from now. Better get your skates on, Ted! A good policy a day will send Brumby away!
Cheers,
Observer.
great move by libs went down a treat with aw. Terrible defence by cameron, thank god for brumby! Bring back haermeyer
Now Ted needs to continue showing leadership and deal with the followig problems –
Louise Asher
Martin Dixon
Christine Fyffe
Nick Kotsiras
Andrew McIntosh
Ken Smith
Murray Thompson
Heidi Victoria
David Davis
Wendy Lovell
Donna Petrovich
Inga Peulich
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by landeryou, Political Fiend, Asia Pacific Brief, timwattsau, vexnews and others. vexnews said: TED GETS TOUGH: Vic Libs show true grit pledging to scrap suspended sentences: The Victorian Liberals have pledged… http://bit.ly/6xgETV [...]
Tougher sentencing is a promise Ted doesn’t even want to keep so you civil libertarians don’t get too upset
Another pathetic Red Ted stuff-up. He doesn’t mention that we would need three or four new prisons to cope with this. The flaws in this plan and alternative and more effective solutions are obvious. But not to Ted. If Baillieu really wanted to do something positive he could promise us a new dam.
Ted come up for a holiday, meet me in the far cubicle in the Wahroonga Gentlemens Public Lavatory then you can private poll Alan and myself on this issue.
Maybe the prisoners could work for Ted, be about as fun as a night in the clanger.
David Langmead
Director Health Super Pty Ltd. (Appointed November 2004)
Nominated by Health Services Union (VIC)
David holds a Bachelor of Law and was admitted as a Barrister and Solicitor of the Supreme Court of Victoria in 1986. After practising as a solicitor he went to the bar in 1998 and specialises in industrial relations law. Prior to practising law, he was an industrial officer with a trade union.
I’ve been thinking about this one all day.
Why, when there are so many opportunities like:
* Myki
* Train cancellations
* Bushfire readiness
* North South water pipeline
* GPS trojan horse for drivers
… just from this week alone … WHY would you unleash a poorly considered idea like this???
Ted, please stop listening to whoever is feeding you this nonsense. You’ve got enough material being fed to you by the ALP, don’t go and create your own!
You noting this RDR – cracking onto teen girls whilst driving may get you locked up.
Every murdering drunk or speeding driver is blood on Brumby’s and Hulls hands.
How many members have you lost this week Marco?
who is the liberal candidate in forest hill
This is mandatory sentencing, and plainly idiotic policy. I’d suggest that the government doesn’t need to dignify such nonsense with a response.
Any news from the right wing dominated Melbourne Uni student union?
PLEASE don’t do that again Mr Abbott.
Ohhh Ducky I just cracked a Fat looking at Ted’s photo.
Labor should hit back with a policy for public floggings, hangings and deportations – oh wait the Brits did that and made Australia.
Yes, Mr Abbott, PLEASE don’t leave me alone with that Milton Orkopoulos fellow. He is a naughty man.
thats not my policy, I’m not to keen on sending mums and dads to jail…$100,000 per prisoner per year hhmmmm I might grow some balls and make my move…..
Surely the Liberals can think of a better way to get rid of Adem Somyurek???
Such a blunt instrument just to put one Labor MLC behind bars.
I’d like to check out Ted’s pair on my knees.
Obviously he has struck a nerve with this policy judging by the posts. How stupid are Brumby & Cameron claiming that 2000 mums & dads will be jailed. Judges will have the discretion to hand out Intesive correction orders with a conviction if they dont want to use prison.Who the hell advised them to say that are they that arrogant that they believe the public are that stupid.Law & Order will win or lose this election dont worry about that. Hulls has been given too much freedom to stack the Judiciary with his civil libertarian supporters and we are now paying the price with their pathetic sentences. Now we have a distinct choice between the parties!Games on
Where is the money coming from?
You taxpayer
Mr Abbott use should really think about removing that internet connected computer from your chambers. The Little Blonde Choir Boy keeps jumping online and journaling our activities online.
Did someone say Choir Boy? Me and my mate Dennis Ferguson love them.
True Leadership | January 14, 2010, 13:51 hasn’t got a clue!
David Davis, Inga Peulich and Donna Petrovich are Libs better performers in the red morgue.
correction…better performing Libs in the red morgue.
Is this a ploy to win blue collar votes because they will be building the jails and then acting as prison guards with the extra taxes levied on us taxpayers?
Why the fuck are the Libs not hammering myki on a daily basis?
$1.6 billion for fucks sake, for a system that isn’t ready as promised. It is over budget and late. Not to mention people don’t understand it and there have been delays in getting the fkn cards out to consumers. They should be ramming this down the throats of the bogans who actually have to use ‘public transport’.
No one has to use Myki yet. When the Metcard is consigned to history, then the sh-t will hit the fan.
Don’t expect Metcard to be shelved before November.
IT is just like his policy of police on every suburban and regional station, if is just bullshit
Kosky is a fall girl. The real culprit if Peter Batchelor who has stuffed up everything he has touched. Time for criminal Pete to be sent out to pasture, too. Let’s have two byelections at the same time. Promote Tammy Lobato…long overdue.
Check how sexy Alex and his lefty mates are in this new vid.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yuFl6×356a0
Batchelor’s by-election should be accompanied with brown paper bags.
The Liberal Party is almost people bankrupt. They have a few good ones in the ranks and they should be pushed forward (even at the expense of a bloodbath) before November, and save us all from catastrophy.
Find the difficult electoral issues for Brumby and trace the origins and you’ll find Batchelor responsbile for 80% of them. Dump Bachelor and promote Tammy Lobato or Christine Campbell.