Sydney Morning Herald

AUSTRALIA: PM ignites death penalty furore

The call by the Prime Minister, John Howard, for a national debate on reintroduction of the death penalty sparked a furious dispute yesterday, dividing political parties and the community.

With the emotive issue reignited after the death sentence for the Bali bomber Amrozi, Mr Howard suggested that it should be raised by state oppositions as an election issue.

The NSW National Party leader, Andrew Stoner, said the death penalty should be a part of a parliamentary debate about introducing specific terrorism laws in the state.

But while the Liberal leader, John Brogden, agreed that such laws should be considered, he said there there was no room for public debate on capital punishment.

The Federal Opposition was also divided over Mr Howard's comments.

A spokesman for the Opposition Leader, Simon Crean, said he did not believe anyone was "proposing there is going to be extensive debate" about the death penalty, which was abolished nationally in 1985.

However, some of Mr Crean's colleagues accused Mr Howard of exploiting a "populist" issue.

The Prime Minister told Melbourne radio that while he did not personally support capital punishment for pragmatic reasons, there were a lot of people close to him who were in favour of it.

"I know lots of Australians who believe that a death penalty is appropriate and they are not barbaric, they're not insensitive, they're not vindictive, they're not vengeful, they're people who believe that if you take another's life deliberately then justice requires that your life be taken."

Mr Howard said that even if he were in favour of reintroducing the death penalty, he could not pass such a law. However, it could be "pursued at a state political level".

"If people want to raise it again it would be open, for example, to the Victorian opposition, if you have a different view on this matter, to promote it as an electoral issue.

"I'm not encouraging them to do so but I'm just making the point that there should be debate on it."

A spokesman for the Victorian Opposition Leader, Robert Doyle, said he "obviously" would not be raising the issue at an election.

Mr Howard has consistently refused to urge Indonesia not to impose the death penalty on Amrozi. Mr Crean agreed with this yesterday, saying that while he was not a supporter of capital punishment, he "was not quibbling" with the decision of the Indonesians.

But the Labor backbencher Duncan Kerr and the MP for Sydney, Tanya Plibersek, said this position was wrong.

"Principled opposition to the death penalty cannot be switched off and on," Mr Kerr said. The Democrats agreed.

Mr Stoner said he did not support the death penalty but believed it was time for community debate about whether laws adequately covered terrorism.

"I wouldn't say I am in support of the death penalty but what happens if we do have acts of terrorism? Are the penalties appropriate in sending a message to would-be terrorists? . . . in these cases where an act of terrorism involving the murder of large numbers of people, affecting the security of the nation and our way of life, then it is probably appropriate for us to review our response."

Mr Brogden insisted that he would never support the death penalty but agreed there was a "legitimate" debate on strengthening terrorism laws. "I don't believe there is any room for a public debate on the death penalty."

The Premier, Bob Carr, said: "I'm opposed to the death penalty, the reason being that the law always makes mistakes and a mistake with the death penalty is irreversible."