Give the Judge a Medal – The Vote is Unanimous
 
A Judge who is waging a crusade against granting bail to violent offenders has won unanimous public support.
 
Judge Russell Callander has made strong statements about the need to keep the public safe and has backed up his words by denying bail to violent offenders.       
 
The Sensible Sentencing Trust is applauding the actions and says Judge Callander should be given a medal.
 
“We should clone this Judge and acknowledge him with some public award; at last we have a Judge who understands that public safety must be the paramount consideration at all times,” said Trust Spokesman Garth McVicar.
 
Judge Callander said bail was granted too readily and Judges could not take any more chances.
 
“We are almost weekly now presented with ugly situations where violent offenders seek and obtain bail, only to return home to inflict either death or further grievous injury on the original complaint.”
 
“That strikes fear into the heart of any rational community and indeed into the heart of any rational Judge assessing risk issues on bail.” Callander said.
 
McVicar said the comments were very encouraging.
 
“It appears that we now have a Justice Minister and Judge on the same wave-length.”
 
“Judith Collins has said crime is a choice and prison is voluntary and we now have a Judge supporting the Minister by denying bail to violent offenders.”
 
“We only hope that Judge Callander is not a lone crusader and the rest of the judiciary follow suit.”

ENDS

© Scoop Media

Gordon Campbell: On The 2013 Budget

Among Thursday’s main talking points:

We are apparently on track for a margin-of-error $75 million surplus, now in sight for 2014/15. But this sickly creature is hobbling out of the lab on the basis of all kinds of facilitative conjuring: such as trimming by $200 million the amount of new spending next time around.

With this strictly nominal surplus in sight, the 1984-ish justification for eternal austerity will have a news talisman: namely, getting Crown debt down to 20% of GDP by 2020. More>>

Budget Report, Lockup Audio & Images: Budget Day 2013 As always and especially after the managerial mishaps of the past few weeks and months, (e.g. Aaron Gilmore, the Mighty River Power share float, the GCSB mishaps) Budget Day 2013 was always going to be a pageant of reassurance... More>>

Budget 2013 Comment: Plain Sailing, But It's No America's Cup Pattrick Smellie: Compared to the last four budgets, this year's reflects an economy moving out of recession and into calmer waters... Yet if the fastest annual growth rate we can expect over the next two years is 3 percent - with the Christchurch rebuild in full swing - then you'd have to say New Zealand's underlying low-growth problem is far from fixed. More>>

Auckland Discord: Govt’s Power Hungry Housing Approach A Threat - Labour

Last week the Government said this, ‘The Government commits not to use any proposed or existing powers ... to override the council's planning and consenting processes’. But its housing Bill says this; ‘If an accord cannot be reached in an area of severe housing unaffordability, the Government can intervene by establishing special housing areas and issuing consents for developers’. More>>

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Extending Protest Ban, Relaxing Permit Rules: Govt Abuses Urgency To Extend Anadarko Amendment

The Government is trying to pass legislation under urgency which would make the Anadarko Amendment – which limits protest at sea – apply to an additional 1.7 million square kilometres, the Green Party said today. More>>

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