Comments on: WA cops get frisky II — WA ALP gets screwed

By: Western Warrior

Western Warrior — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 11:16:12 +0000

AR,

There’s a fella called Norman Moore that’d be only too happy to oblige you….

By: AR

AR — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 09:57:48 +0000

Is there any chance that the preamble to the Federation be revisited? NZ didn’t join and WA was only bribed by the rail link. Is it possible that they’ll just go away and stop embarassing the rest of us?

By: Western Warrior

Western Warrior — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 07:08:40 +0000

Dave,

The ALP is particularly vulnerable to this sort of thinking, because traditionally it’s been painted as soft on crime. So while in government, the Carrs, Beatties and Ranns all decided that there was great wedge politics to be had by out-flanking the Liberals on the right when it came to whacking villains. And it worked, too - the Left stayed quiet while the conservatives looked bewildered.

The problems comes when you’re in opposition; what do you do then? You don’t have the authority of office with which to cloak draconian legislation in pomp and circumstance, so you either say the Emperor has no clothes or you play along. And either way, you get terrible laws as a result.

Raymond,

The core problem with Ripper is the same as the core problem was with Carpenter. Neither ever developed a coherent philosophy aroiund which you could build a strategy, so they lurch from issue to issue, annoying everyone in sight and looking rudderless.

Philosophy’s a dirty word in modern politics. But you do need a semblance of it to at least appear consistent. As Carps ‘doing a Moses’ on the ALP though, well, Carps couldn’t lead a flock of homing pigeons…and the WA ALP wouildn’t want his style of “leadership” again any more than they want a hot poker in the nether regions.

Patrick,

There are a whole raft of laws that the Barnett government has changed or is changing, aimed at eroding personal freedom and individual rights. And it’s getting away with it, because the ALP has no cogent answer…due the problems I pointed out above. No strategy and no philosophical basis.

Ripper’s a competent manager, but a poor strategist and a worse politician.

By: Patrick Brosnan

Patrick Brosnan — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 03:59:07 +0000

Totally agree. I wasn’t really aware that this was what Barnett was up to and I doubt that our pathetic excuse for a daily newspaper will create much of an outcry. I note that Barnett is also wanting to repeal provisions to do with the marijuana laws despite the fact that there is no evidence that the relaxation under the former govt. has led to any problems.
In both cases it is the worst kind of law making, no problem exists yet a class of people will be criminalised. Still it’s the West and it doesn’t take grass to make them all dopey …

By: RaymondChurch

RaymondChurch — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 03:58:32 +0000

This article highlights the total incompetence of Ripper as a leader. As long as he is in charge of the Opposition they are doomed to be just that. It shows the pathetically weak state of the lineup, with a couple of exceptions, noone with the talent or the guts to standup and tap Ripper on the shoulder. Labor in WA should have sorted out their leadership problems long before now, however it appears they have given up winning at least the next election. Carpenter has done a Howard on them, with no prospective Moses to take them out of the wilderness

By: daveliberts

daveliberts — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 03:27:05 +0000

Good article. We’re due for a state election next year in SA and the law and order auction is well underway. The firm belief among party strategists on all sides is that there are a hell of a lot more votes in tough-on-crime rhetoric than civil liberties. Accordingly, politicians behave like politicians, so the outcome becomes inevitable. On the other hand, history suggests that public opinion on this is cyclical and generations of reform follow generations of overkill.