Posted on 06/23/2010 4:04:40 PM PDT by naturalman1975
So Rudd didn’t even last a full term. What a loser.
The problem is that he will be succeeded by a left-wing witch. I hope Abbott cleans her clock in the elections later on.
Sounds about middle of the road compared to the US. More onerous than Texas or New Mexico, but less onerous than New York or California. Thanks for the education.
Okay, I’ll ask the 18-year old Ozzie from Sydney currently living with us for clarification...
Regarding knives, he said you couldn’t walk down the street with one. Maybe it’s okay to possess one in one’s house?
You can’t carry a knife for self defence. You can carry one if you have another reason to carry it.
As very few teenage boys are fishermen, leather workers, or similar, police will tend to assume they don’t have a good reason to be carrying a knife unless they can explain it.
I carry a pocket knife everywhere, and if I am asked why - as I have been once when he pinged a metal detector, I simply say it’s a useful tool that I got used to carrying in the navy and there’s no problem. A teenage boy might not get as easy treatment as I do.
Teachers, by the way (I am one) will often tell kids it’s not legal to carry a knife, because so many kids are using them in fights and stabbing each other. It’s not strictly true, but the law is complex and trying to get it through to kids isn’t easy.
I’ve just looked up the precise wording.
It is unlawful to carry a knife without reasonable excuse.
What this means is that if you are carrying a knife, you can be asked why, and if your explanation doesn’t match the knife, there could be problems.
A fishing knife - and you’re going fishing - your fine. A fishing knife, and you’ve never fished in your life - problem.
Basic pocket knives are considered tools, and most people have a valid reason to be carrying a tool. But if police find them on a group of kids who are the type they think are likely to get involved in a fight, they are fairly likely to treat it as a weapon.
A lot of Australian law relies on commonsense.
How very refreshing.
What would be the best outcome for your upcoming elections? Friends of our are moving there soon (not easy) and suddenly more interested in the politics of Australia.
The election of a Liberal/National coalition government with Tony Abbott as Prime Minister.
Australia has three major political parties - Labor, on the left (currently in government), and two conservative parties, the Liberal Party and the National Party - they are very similar in terms of policies, but remain separate in most states because the Liberals are a city based party, and the Nationals are rural, and the Nationals believe a merger would rob country people of representation. Most of the time when they are in government, the Liberal and National parties are in a formal coalition, with the Liberals providing the Prime Minister, and the Nationals the Deputy Prime Minister, and Cabinet containing members of both in rough proportion to their seats in Parliament.
Tony Abbott is a genuine conservative, and the coalition parties range from the centrist to the conservative.
There are other minor parties, which can win a few seats in the Senate, but in terms of overall government they don't really count.
Thank you for your reply. I guess we will be hoping for Tony Abbott. When do the elections take place? Will be paying a lot more attention to all countries elections these days.
There’s no fixed date for the election. It must be held by 16th April next year at the latest. It will most likely be held later this year.
The 16th of April date is the result of quite a complicated Constitutional formula which sets the maximum life of a Parliament and the maximum time after it expires that a new election must be held. The Prime Minister is allowed to ask for Parliament to be dissolved earlier and virtually always does - two and a half to three years between elections is the norm, and the last election was on 24th November 2010.
?
Sorry - 24th November 2007.
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