Total disengagement

THE police minister has just re-enforced the reason we need to seriously consider voting for a North Queensland focused party at the next election.

His statement “the magistrates need to toe the line” illustrates his total disengagement with the realities of the problems we are facing up here.

If the magistrates continue to exercise lenient judgments, then change the law. It is the penalties that need to be narrowed or given more clout so the softer penalties are no longer available for the judges to deliver. As a minister of the state he either does not understand the concept of how laws are made and enforced, ie the people “the elected politicians” make the laws and the magistrates apply them, or he is just pointing the finger at someone else and saying, “there is nothing I can do; it’s their fault”.

Here’s a suggestion: How about making the law three strikes and your inside, instead of unlimited cautions?

Surely after three chances you either have no respect for our liberties and society or you go to jail and reflect on life without privileges and freedom.

It is obvious to even the most vocal Labor supporter that the present government has lost all touch with community expectations in North Queensland.

The LNP has so far just given us hollow promises and vague feel-good statements so I wouldn't be jumping into that camp in a hurry either. We deserve a hell of a lot better than the inaction and waffle coming from both major parties. Alan Benn, Kamerunga