Commenting on the story: ‘Iron fist’: Govt blasted as protest law passes

At last a victory for the silent majority who are totally fed up these noisy minorities using any disruptive means they can to make their extremist views known.

A rare but very welcome exception to the rule of lawlessness that currently prevails. – Terry Griffin

Once again, the Premier has shown his approach to policy seems based primarily around “pub tests” and “common sense”. For someone who clearly considers himself a lofty orator, big picture thinker and once-in-a-generation leader, he shows a serious lack of policy substance and inability to move beyond soundbites tailored for talkback radio, and social media videos about footy.

What both him and the Opposition Leader have continually misunderstood during this debate is that restricting the right to peaceful protest is not about Extinction Rebellion being irritating and disruptive. People in a democratic society must have the right to protest peacefully without the threat of a possible jail sentence – wherever they may sit on the political spectrum.

Good political leadership is not about submitting to society’s worst populist instincts – if it was, we would likely see the abhorrent death penalty reintroduced tomorrow. Instead, politicians must be prepared to make difficult and potentially unpopular decisions and attempt to shift the public debate for the better.

If they don’t and instead remain hollow and devoid of substance, our democracy will continue to suffer from the nihilistic short-termism we’ve seen infect Australian politics over the past few decades. – Andrea Rankin 

Commenting on the story: SA’s protest debate gets curiouser and curiouser

A great article by Matt Abraham pointing out the sheer hypocrisy of the Summary Offences (Obstruction of Public Places) Bill.

Perhaps the bill should have been more appropriately named the Summary Offences (Wolf dressed up in Sheep’s Clothing) Bill.

On a more serious note, this bill is clearly aimed at stymieing the democratic right of protest, freedom of assembly and freedom of speech.

The proof of the cynicism by which the legislation came about and was rushed through the parliament, and the real sting in the tail of legislation is that it gives police and emergency services the ability claw back the costs of ‘handling’ these inconvenient demonstrations. Of course it does!

I agree with the Tom Koutsantonis comments: no matter how this Bill is dressed up, its effect is to use a statute to diminish the democratic rights of South Australians. – Gilbert Aitken

Commenting on the story: ‘Shame’: Union anger at Labor protest law

I must be missing something. What gives them their obvious sense of entitlement over obstructing public property?

This minority are alienating themselves and the causes they are supposed to represent. They are also fracturing our democracy. I applaud the government’s stance as fair and in the best interests of the common good and I cannot wait for the first fine to be issued. – Dianne Maguire

When the ALP’s new spruiker, Opposition leader David Speirs, says the new draconian anti-human-rights legislation are supported by “everyday South Australians in the mortgage belt”, it makes me wonder who these mortgage belters are.

At the demo were nurses, bus and tram drivers, teachers, ambulance drivers, public servants, and many other ordinary citizens and workers. Does Speirs think these people don’t have mortgages? Does he really think that people who have mortgages don’t care about the climate crisis unfolding around us? Does he really think that the young people at this gathering, one of whom spoke eloquently to us, don’t have parents with mortgages? And that those parents don’t care about their children’s future?

The opposition which lost the last election has made the most important and horrifying legislation for which Pete will be remembered. Shame, Premier, shame. – Cathy Chua

Commenting on the story: ‘Enjoy being the Opposition:’: Another moderate Liberal blasts shift to right

I’m not going to gainsay Hannah March’s point about the conservative resurgence in the South Australian Liberal Party rendering the party unelectable. She may be right in arguing that they limit the party’s appeal.

It does, however, show remarkable chutzpah for this pillar of the party’s Left to blame the conservatives for the party’s being in opposition. Between 2018 and 2022, the Marshall Government was dominated by the party’s Left.

From the Premier’s office to Ministers, to ministerial staff, to party office, to most electorate offices, conservatives were excluded. The March 2022 election defeat must be owned by Steven Marshall, Vickie Chapman, Michelle Lensink and John Gardner. – Michael Atkinson