Headmaster Reveals He Is No Man of Principle

By Ray Hadley
Daily Telegraph
March 6, 2015

http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/opinion/headmaster-reveals-he-is-no-man-of-principle/story-fni0cwl5-1227249824716

1 Revelations that the former headmaster of Knox Grammar Dr Ian Paterson ignored the paedophiles offending against boys at his school beggars belief. I don’t cop this rubbish about him being a wonderful educator who simply did what others did about child abusers back in the bad old days. It was only in 1996 Paterson misled police about the abuse of students. He stands condemned.

2 The Baird government has promised the courts will get tougher on sentencing paedophiles. It’s remarkable a government would need to instruct judges that an average sentence of under two years is not acceptable.

3Deputy Premier Troy Grant distinguished himself this week with discussion about two subjects. Firstly, supporting chemical castration for convicted paedophiles and then by lending his support to Deputy Commissioner Nick Kaldas and others who have been treated like criminals after their phones were tapped. Thank goodness someone in government has spoken out against the reprehensible treatment of many officers and civilians.

4 This week two brothers faced court after a 210km chase across NSW. Anthony Bradley Ngati and Morgan Ngati were remanded in custody. In 2009, their elder brother William Ngati killed a baby girl, Skye Sassine, when he drove like a lunatic after a number of armed robberies and a carjacking. He is in jail until 2024. We have a law named in honour of the little girl he killed. Anthony Bradley Ngati, his younger brother, has been charged with breaking “Skye’s Law”.

5It’s hard to predict what Clive Palmer will do next. This week was not good for the leader of the diminishing Palmer United Party. Earlier in the week he issued a statement that his two senators would not vote on legislation. That afternoon they both voted against government legislation. The next day Palmer declared his two senators would be voting on legislation. Then later in the week he called on PM Tony Abbott to commit suicide, only to apologise the next day and say he meant political suicide.

6 The High Court seemed unimpressed with the ICAC case against distinguished prosecutor Margaret Cunneen SC. Given the government has declared we have too many quasi government bodies investigating police, I wonder how long before ICAC is held to account for its lack of success in making sure corrupt politicians and public officials get what they deserve.

7 Last week I wrote about Cameron Murphy’s quest to return the state seat of East Hills to Labor. Mr Murphy has no history with the seat in south-western Sydney. It wasn’t long ago Mr Murphy told everyone he was a committed resident of Kings Cross when he was seeking to be the Mayor of the City of Sydney.

8 The NRL Integrity Unit is obviously in need of a giant shake-up. Firstly it bungles the investigation into the incident in Arizona involving Souths, then they issue a media release declaring they’d have KGB-like powers only to withdraw it the next day.

9 The Special Commission of Inquiry into Greyhound Racing will no doubt benefit the industry. There’ll be short-term pain for long-term gain and those who want to operate outside the rules will be ­exposed and banished.

10 Tonight two traditional rivals go head to head in game two of the NRL season. I hope both Parramatta and Manly can launch the season in Sydney with a blockbuster.