Either you’re for capital punishment or you’re not
What’s important in this is to have a consistent policy on the death penalty so far as Australia is concerned. And the concern is that Australia’s international moral authority, if you like, is being compromised because the policy isn’t consistent…We don’t have the death penalty here in Australia, we haven’t had it since the 1970s. We don’t execute terrorists. We support, internationally, the abolition of capital punishment. Now you’re either for that or you’re not…There’s a political contest going on and there’s an election coming up. And regrettably, the principles which are at stake so far as capital punishment are concerned are being somewhat lost in the kind of rush that you’re talking about. It would be a lot better if there was a bipartisan position which supported Australia’s declared position since 1990 when we signed the – and supported and ratified the international covenant on this - that Australia is simply opposed to the death penalty in all cases and in all countries.
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I support the principle that state execution, no matter the horror of the crime, or its motive, is murder. To me, there can be no exceptions. Support for execution of anyone, for any reason, is support for savagery and barberism.
It is not surprising to me that John Howard gives cowardly support to killing captured terrorists whilst pretending he is against the death penalty at home, only because “mistakes can be made”. That is his normal tactic of ostensibly espousing a noble cause but then then sneakily adding that there are compelling reasons for making an exception in a particular case.
It is surprising that Kevin Rudd does likewise, just to win an election. If our leaders can show such lack of principle, we should be worried about our future.
Malcolm Frasers comments about “terrorism” and its historical precepts are spot on.
At this time in our history when Liberalism itself is in danger of being eclipsed by an aggressive, hard, neo-conservatism, we need people to stand up for those Liberal values. Instead we see a fearful Rudd backing hasily away.
I too abhor the death penalty in all situations. And I abhor this governmnet’s failure to commit to the abolition of this barbaric practice.
This goes far further than the debate we have had over the death penalty in the last week or so. We all remember the execution of Sadam Hussien, and John Howard’s complete and total failure to condemn capital punishment, even though more courageous leaders such as Tony Blair did. When has our leader ever critised the US on their continuing use of capital punishment, the only western country to do so? Indeed, it seems as though Howard and his cronies are only against the execution of Australian citizens, in situations where the political consquences of supporting execution are too great to be ignored.
This is a question of morality, of principle, of right versus wrong, and as such to see capital punishment only condemned when it is politically prudent to do so is insulting.
If we trained used and then ignored ‘terrorists’ in Afghanistan, 1978 on, for our own purposes, are we not also terrorists or at least party to terrorism?
Even the media supports the story that some of the killing ignored civilians, here and in Iraq.
Under the statute or Rome, incorporated into our own criminal law, have not we conducted an illegal war-terrorist?
I tend to oppose the death penalty, but not in ALL situations.
For deliberate, calculated murders,where there is no doubt of the perpetrator it is a poetic justice, relieving the state of the great expense of incarceration and ensuring that the person never gets the chance to do it again.
For terrorists who wanted to die anyway it also seems appropriate.
It is not a black and white matter.
It seems to me that pie-in-the-sky religious beliefs should have no bearing on any legislation in the modern world. We should deal with this life, not with any imaginary after-life.
A person who cold-bloodedly ends another person’s life against their will should forfeit his own.
On the other hand, someone who helps a tormented loved one to a good death at their request should suffer no penalty.