Tagged

The latest manifestation of our government's flailing ineffectiveness is the snappily named Summary Offences (Tagging and Graffiti Vandalism) Amendment Bill. It's more unnecessary and discriminatory law making targetted at the only social group that Labour can get support against - young people. It's unnecessary because it's already a crime to tag someone else's property without the owner's permission. In fact the existing law is tougher (and previously the government has been all in favour of tougher when it comes to law and order) because it provides for sentences of imprisonment. Three months imprisonment is the maximum penalty in the case of the offence of willful damage in the Summary Offences Act 1981 and seven years can theoretically be imposed for intentional damage in the Crimes Act 1961. The Bill allows for community based sentences "only". Like the previous legislative window dressing aimed at "boy-racers" it's duplicative law-making that serves no purpose other than to pot an obvious target to the applause of newspaper editors the length of the country.