Police Minister’s gibber slays me

WHEN I heard Police Minister Paul Henderson rebutting the CLP idea to expel MPs who disrupt the Legislative Assembly because they get “punished enough” in the media, I almost collapsed in hysterics.

When we step out of line, we hit the front page of the newspapers, he said adding their punishment for disrupting the chamber is they get hammered in the media.

I remind Mr Henderson the Network Against Prohibition also got hammered in the media and made the front page, too (Northern Territory News, February 15, 2002) when they disrupted the chamber in 2002.

But they were jailed as well. The charge, in case you don’t know, comes under S.61 NT Criminal Code: “Intentionally disrupting the (Legislative Assembly) while it is in session.”

NAP remains free simply because it is appealing against the ridiculous conviction.

Why should this law not apply to politicians as well?

Stuart Highway, Nightcliff

NAP web-team note: The date the NAP Parliament action was 1st reported in the NT news was 15 May 2002 not Feb as is mistakenly printed in the above letter.

Newshawk: http://www.napnt.org
Pubdate: Fri, 25 August 2006
Source: Northern Territory News (Australia)
Author: Stuart Highway (letter to the editor)
Copyright: 2006 Northern Territory News
Contact: ntnmail@ntn.newsltd.com.au
Website: http://www.ntnews.com.au/