[Greens-Media] Govt-opposition rock throwing response another failed law and order auction

[Lee Rhiannon]

Media release - 21 September 2007

Govt-opposition rock throwing response another failed law and order auction 

Greens MP and justice spokesperson Lee Rhiannon said today that NSW already has the criminal laws in place to allow the police and courts to handle rock throwing incidents.

"Premier Morris Iemma and shadow Attorney General Greg Smith have made themselves look very foolish in their haste to outdo each other with tough new laws on rock throwing," Ms Rhiannon said.

"Mr Smith's ill-thought out plan to increase the sentence for people throwing rocks at cars to 25 years should rule him out as shadow attorney general. Changes to criminal law should not be done on the run. 

"The opposition's attempt to outbid the Premier's 14-year jail proposal brings them no credit. 

"Premier Iemma's understanding of the justice system is not much better than Mr Smith's. 

"Politicians clearly need to be responsive to what happens in our communities but this knee jerk response by both the government and the opposition to rock throwing incidents will do nothing to make our communities safer. 

"Existing laws already provide for jail terms of 10 years or more in the case that someone is injured.

"Premier Morris Iemma should drop his plans to introduce this law when parliament sits next week. 

"Throwing rocks at cars can result in death and terrible injuries. Tragically many of the people who commit these crimes are young people.

"The government should be developing a range of responses and not just hoping jail terms will stop these crimes," Ms Rhiannon said.

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