Dear CSteele,
It’s been a long time since we crossed swords. The last time we did, as I recall, you were droning on about the need to apply Queensberry rules when dealing with terrorists.

It is hardly in the spirit of Queensberry for someone to accuse a public servant of an offence –which could have seen him lose his career and livelihood –and no doubt caused him some trauma, but get off without penalty when exposed as a false accuser.If the lady concerned was guilty of the charge, then she should face prescribed penalty.

Unfortunately it seems be a universal rule that if one group imbued with a fair-go ethos comes into disputation with another who has an anything-goes ethos, the fair goers lose out-- especially when the anything goers have seven children a piece .

Sonofgloin:

...I agree totally. It is more evidence of an enveloping toxic radiation, not only seeping into Canberra, but into the highest levels of States. The “burka” incident is simply more evidence of the creeping impotence caused by Political correctness. Add this one to the decimation of an entire cattle export industry from the “spanner” of Animal Cruelty nutters.

Dear SPQR,

Yes I still have an issue with the civilian death toll resulting from the secret service of a country using unmanned drones to bomb schools, mosques, and funeral possessions against the expressed wishes of the sovereign nation in which the raids were occurring.

I was recoiling at the imagery of the torn and broken bodies of dead children, you, I recall, had no problem with what was happening.

Now that our portrayal of the other is done shall we address the matter at hand?

"Police Minister Mike Gallacher has revealed that police do not currently have the legal power to require women to show their face if the women refuse on religious or cultural grounds." Sun-herald

So if the officer had insisted she raise her veil for identification purposes he was exceeding his authority.

Further less than a quarter of the over 5,000 police complaints made each year are deemed actionable this is despite 23% of them being made by other police.

I hope you are not suggesting that although each of these had the potential to act detrimentally on the careers of serving members there should be the threat of a six month imprisonment term for those that are found to be baseless? Or should that apply only to burka wearing women with multiple children?

Look frankly this woman does not appear to be the most pleasant going and she is certainly guilty of past traffic infringements but one only has to be in any major town or city on a Saturday night to see unpleasant women having a crack at a copper. 

As long as we have a robust system to deal with complaints against police then people should not be intimidated in making them. If they are then the law is indeed an ass!

As to; "Unfortunately it seems be a universal rule that if one group imbued with a fair-go ethos comes into disputation with another who has an anything-goes ethos, the fair goers lose out-- especially when the anything goers have seven children a piece ."

Bunkum!

Those advocating fingerprinting at the roadside have not thought
through what is involved.
The fingerprints have to be taken and registered when the licence issued.

It means each car has to be equipped with fingerprint readers.
The data has to be captured and sent back to the fingerprint centre.
The match found by the computer has to be examined by a finger print expert.
A finger print expert has to be rostered on shift for the checking
of burqua wearers. Not many burquas would be allowed out at night
on their own I would think.

Iris checking would also have similar problems and costs.
Why should we bear such costs just for that group ?
Let them obey the law like the rest of us.

BTW, I have a relative in the prison service and he says the moslems
cause more trouble than the rest of the prisoners.

Belly

Thanks for your understanding.

I really loath the full face burqa, on so many levels it is just wrong. However, equally I would not agree with passing laws telling people how to dress.

I also agree that the women at the centre of the storm in a teacup was being opstreperous and would be of that character irrespective of what she was wearing. I don't believe in special dispensation because she has children for whom she is obligated as a parent to set a good example and avoid conflicts with the law.

To deal with these situations as they currently exist, the finger print is probably the next best thing. However it is human stupidity at the heart of all this, the men who insist (sometimes by force) for women to cover up and the women who go along with this.

Dogma is an ass!

Dear Bazz,

Geez mate you live in a complicated world. Can't we just keep this thing simple? Put an image of the person's  thumbprint, at actual size, on the back of the license, then if they need to be identified ink the thumb and press it onto a piece of paper, something all policemen are trained to do and compare it to the one on the license.

If polling booth officials in third world countries can manage it it shouldn't be too difficult for us or do you think that is not the case?