Rant time. Refer:
http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/nsw/pushed-beyond-despair-farmer-ian-turnbulls-family-says-feud-over-trees-consumed-hardworking-man-of-the-land/story-fni0cx12-1227009362264
Found a copy of the Daily Telegraph on the lunch table today and was confused by the headline. "Pushed beyond despair" it read. Is it just me or does this whole thing read like a sob story for the man who shot another man? Look at it in raw terms: a policeman was shot after issuing a notice to the accused and died as a result. The local MP says this:
“It’s a tragic event that I think has been brought about by bad legislation,”[/size]
Legislation put the firearm in the man's hand?
Did it also pull the trigger?
My father and in-laws are all farmers and I'm not going to pretend for a second that their lives are easy. They've battled incredibly hard times like most/all farmers in this country and like every industry, have legislation, laws and regulations to deal with. But the piece of legislation in question here is the clearing of land according to the paper. Government officials have an aggressive stance on everything. The 'RED TAPE NIGHTMARE' includes obtaining a property vegetation plan or development consent plan from the state government. There are three other points about the amount of time it takes, that some approval might need come from someone else, and the degree of the fine. What a nightmare.
This article implies that the government is to blame for the policeman's death. We've all been close to breaking point over something, but you can't blame the thing that made you snap if you happen to kill someone. Of the murderer the following is said:
"...patriarch of a well-respected wheat farming dynasty, had endured more than a year of pressure from the government over the clearing of his land "[/size]
"He was out in the community — he was helping to build old people’s homes, he was collecting trampolines at school fetes, he did Meals on Wheels"[/size]
“He was the respected elder who people turned to."[/size]
And this of the man who was killed:
"...
condolences to Mr Turner’s grief-stricken family, including his two children, aged nine and 10."[/size]
This journalism is completely unacceptable.
