Some questions on dogs
I am hopeful that the member for Wagga Daryl Maguire may be able to help out with a couple of queries that people have concerning his government’s proposed ban on greyhound racing in NSW from July 1, 2017. In 1998, I wrote to the federal minister for justice inquiring about being found guilty and punished for a non-existent offence. Part of the advice I received from the minister’s office stated that, “It is not possible for a person to be found guilty of a non-existent offence”.
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If Premier Baird’s decision to ban greyhound racing is allowed to stand then that advice is wrong. Media reports say that less than 20 per cent of all greyhound trainers in NSW were involved in live baiting, the prime reason for the ban.
Although the other 80 per cent of trainers who have committed no offences and are completely innocent of any wrongdoing, they will still have to pay the same heavy penalty as the guilty parties. They will have their sport and livelihood taken away from them because of the actions a few. Apparently, Premier Baird believes that they are guilty by association – the attribution of guilt (without proof) to individuals because of the people they associate with are guilty. The questions I would like to raise with Mr Maguire are:
Is the advice I received from the federal minister for justice wrong because, apparently, your government has found that 80 per cent of all greyhound trainers are guilty of non-existent offences. How is this possible?
Could you cite the specific legislation that justifies your government’s authority to punish innocent greyhound trainers when they are innocent of any wrongdoing ?
The High Court of Australia (HCA) has ruled that a person can only be punished for a breach of the law. He can be punished for nothing else. A ruling by the HCA is binding on all courts and judges in the Australian Judicature (Phillips v The Queen [2006] HCA 4). How can your government ignore a ruling by HCA?
Geoff Field
Gundagai
Drinking cows milk bizarre
Judy Bamberger (We must pay fair milk price, 11/7) says dairy products are "essential" eatables for a significant majority of Australians.
No they're not. Cows breast milk, like all mothers milk, is essential for no one but her newborn baby. Consuming cows milk is also bizarre. Do any other animals on the planet suckle from a totally different species and continue suckling throughout adulthood?
Of course not.
But the worst thing about the dairy industry is the cruelty. Each year in Australia 700,000 newborn calves are deliberately brought into the world for the sole purpose of immediately killing them in order to steal their baby milk for profit.
Judy urges us to "wake up" and pay more for cows milk. I urge consumers to wake up and stop buying it. We have an abundance of nutritious, delicious and humanely derived milks available these days with stealing milk from the mouths of babes.
Jenny Moxham
Monbulk
Lagoon idea top notch
Congratulations to Clint Uden for your top initiative to put to council the visionary proposal to clear the Wollundry Lagoon as from the Ivan Jack Drive and build a proper bridge.
This would greatly improve the looks of the whole lagoon and enhance tourism benefits.
The long-term benefits for Wagga should by far out-weigh the costs. Please, councillors, seriously consider and bring to fruition this visionary initiative for the sake of the people of Wagga now and into the future and for the enhancement of tourism and Wagga’s reputation.
