Thursday, August 23, 2012 7:52 PM

Paedophile Teacher

The Northland teacher James Parker who pleaded guilty to sexual assault will go to jail. He should be put away for a long time.

But there are others that need to be held accountable.

The lack of action by Pamapuria School will now come under intense scrutiny. The principal, teachers, the board -they will all be under police scrutiny.

The police warned them in 2009 that Parker should not have pupils staying at his house overnight.

Most of the abuse occurred after this warning.

So Parker was harvesting his victims from the school. He was taking them home. Where the hell was the school in all of this?

Teachers don't take kids to their homes. This is not normal. Not to stay, not to visit, not ever!

The fact that the 'red flags' were all over the place and ignored is appalling and those people need to pay the price.

Alcohol

The Government’s changes to the alcohol laws are interesting but will do nothing to address the issues they are concerned about.

Forcing supermarkets to place liquor out the back somewhere; making parents more responsible and making the industry self-regulate RTD's is tinkering at best.

All political parties are PC on the booze laws.

Tinkering around with the law will not change a culture.

Enforcement and consequences is a critical thing and its absent in this country.

We have a slap on the hand mentality. We have it for murder so why not for a booze offences. It’s seen as a minor transgression if you get caught for a liquor offence.

In the US if you get caught selling or supplying grog to a minor you’re in for the high jump. Liquor licenses cancelled, hefty fines, jail.

If you get caught consuming grog under 21, same applies.Tough penalties.

Sure, it gets abused too, but it seems to me the deterrent factor is a real turn-off, especially for retailers and those buying for minors.

We have a patsy approach.

Euthanasia

The PM support euthanasia and says that it already happens in our hospitals.

To a certain extent he is correct.

Doctors don't give the needle to kill someone directly but there are ways to hasten death. We all know this. It’s just silly to deny it.

I think what grates about this debate so much is the strident views of the anti-brigade.

People like National MP Maggie Barry more or less discounting the pro side by claiming that euthanasia is not an issue because palliative care is so good now. It’s the arrogance of it all.

My view is that it’s not my decision to decide how someone else wants to die.

Pilger

On cue the far left John Pilger turns up on Close Up defending Julian Assange. Oh what a surprise!

Pilger says the sex allegations are trumped up. He also says that the Ecuadorian government hasn't closed down media outlets. He says freedom of the press is alive and well in Ecuador.

Pilger shows his true colours with his statements on the media in Ecuador. It’s a remarkable statement to claim the there is a free media when demonstrably that is not the case. It’s just an absurd statement. It’s nuts. 

As to the sex allegations which are apparently trumped up. That must be why Assange has done a runner. Courts will decide on culpability not some anti-American crusader.