ASK THE EXPERTS

There is something that has always perturbed and frustrated me about the way our system works –or doesn’t work – when it comes to governments, the military, our Police forces and statutory bodies. And it often extends to business.Why is it they pay such little heed, such scant attention, to the men and women in the field? The ones in the front line? The ones at the coalface? The ones who surely know better, if not best?

Life and death decisions are often made, excruciatingly slowly made, by shiny-bummed pen pushers. Safe and secure bureaucrats who wouldn’t know a tram was up them unless the conductor rang the bell.

The military is the worst example and has been for decades. From bad equipment in two World Wars and through Vietnam and now Iraq and Afghanistan. Sometimes the wrong weapons and wrong equipment and even inadequate footwear.

In recent times we’ve had soldiers at the front buying their own boots.

There are two good examples today. One involves the Australian military and the safety of our troops in Afghanistan. The other concerns Victoria Police.
According to ABC’s Lateline Australian special forces in Afghanistan are pleading for better protection against roadside bombs that wounded two diggers while driving through southern Uruzgan province last month.

An improvised mine exploded under their patrol vehicle. One soldier nearly died after suffering severe wounds to his legs and lower body.  Their vehicle did not have the protective armour soldiers have been requesting for nearly two years.

Apparently, a majority of the patrol vehicles used by our elite soldiers have not been equipped yet and they are coming into the predicted most intense fighting season. The protective upgrading is reportedly eighteen months behind schedule. Why?

And here in Victoria the debate over Taser guns is on again after a man armed with a knife, and threatening to harm himself, was shot by Police last night in Broadmeadows. He could have been Tasered into submission.

Like December 2007. Police used a Taser then to incapacitate a man armed with a knife who confronted them at Dandenong North. He had also threatened his parents. Police from the Critical Incident Response Team were forced to use a Taser to end the situation.

The Police union has been pushing for Taser weapons for a long time and they are being issued in Queensland and Western Australia. But today the New Chief Commissioner Simon Overland ruled out arming rank-and-file officers.

I would have thought it was a great idea. Another non-lethal option for officers facing life and death decision almost on a daily basis. They’re in the front line. They have to live with it when forced to shoot somebody.

Shouldn’t they be listened to? Like the troops on the ground in Afghanistan?

Friday, May 15, 2009

© Copyright Derryn Hinch 2009