[Greens-Media] Attorney General swaps sense for small change

[David Shoebridge]

MEDIA RELEASE
19 OCTOBER 2010
 
Legislation being brought by the NSW Attorney General into NSW
Parliament this week is a severe over-reaction to a minor
administrative error, according to Greens NSW MP David Shoebridge.
 
"To correct what is quite a small administrative issue, Mr
Hatzistergos is planning to severely impinge on people's personal
rights and liberties and undermine the National Classification
Scheme," Mr Shoebridge said.
 
"I'd hate to see how he reacts when Telstra messes up his phone Bill.
 
"In order to prosecute classification infringements, each state and
territory is awarded 100 free classifications by the federal
government.
 
"From 2008 to 2009, NSW actually required 161 classifications. The
extra classifications generated a cost of around $51,000.
 
"The NSW Government is now proposing that defendants who challenge
what the NSW Police say is a publication's classification will have to
pay for the classification once they are convicted.
 
"This is making citizens pay for the cost of prosecuting them. This is
against fundamental civil rights principles.
 
"Presumably it is to save this amount that the Attorney General is
proposing such drastic changes to the law in NSW. But has he explored
any alternatives?
 
"The population of NSW is around a third of the country. It's not
surprising that it requires more classifications than, say Victoria.
 
"The free classifications could be allocated proportionally, or even
allocated from a pool of 700, which state and territory enforcement
agencies applied to as they needed.
 
"My office picked up the phone called the office of Greens Senator
Scott Ludlam; within a few minutes they had identified a
straight-forward solution.
 
"Reports from Senate Estimates hearings yesterday are that the Federal
Attorney General understands the situation and indicated a readiness
to come to a common-sense solution.
 
"The fractured and dysfunctional relationship between NSW and Federal
Labor is continuing to have negative consequences on the people of
NSW," Mr Shoebridge said.
 
Media Contact: Mark Riboldi 02 9230 3030 - 0433 753 376
 
 
David Shoebridge
Greens MLC
NSW Parliament
PH: (02) 9230 3030
FX: (02) 9230 2159
www.davidshoebridge.org.au