Warship fires on poachers

[Nicks]

I remember a couple of years ago an Aussie was sailing through Indonesia when authorities seized his boat and locked him up because they found a gun on board (geez i'd have a bazooka myself sailing in those waters).

I agree we are too soft on illegal fishing in our northern waters and we need a better deterrant. I dont profess to know what is the answer though.

I am very annoyed though at the role politicians are playing. The Defense Force needs to be secular and not calling up a minister for approval. What the $%^ does Dr Nelson know. I demand to know why he made the call for what our military did operationally in an engagement. Very dangerous imo. He has no right or experience to make such calls.

I would be interested to hear more of what Absolutely has to say on the matter.

 

[kitehigh]

Yes it was pathetic to read about this incident, unfortunately all so common in our military today. I was a serving member and it is quite obvious once a officer gets to a certain rank they become very politically conscience.

To make matters worse our Government (labour or Liberal it doesn't matter who is in power), is notoriously soft. We just don't have the political will most of the time to be alot tougher on a range of issues. It is this very weakness that other regimes and ideologies use against us. We are our own worse enemy most of the time.

 

[Pat]

Whats with the military and acronyms?

Agree Australia needs to take a tougher stance.

What happened to the idea of a coast guard?

 

[Buster]

Hey Tech,

(1) Sink the boat.(Should be mandatory law ).
(2) Arrest the poachers and charge them with whatever offences they commit.
(3) Have them tried by OUR law.(Introduce laws that ARE deterents)
(4) Have them serve here their time at the cost of their homeland--then
(5) Have them deported at the cost of their homeland.

Make a stand so that we are not seen as soft touches.

Seems this is the best deterent we have!
Policy like this wont see a decline will it?

Hmmm.. I guess you just don't understand that our 'joke' Navy, and the 'unacceptable' actions of the 'wimps' (your words mate..) that make up that force are simply instruments of the [read your] government..

The Defence (that's how we spell it in this country fellas..) Force is not responsible for passing laws or policy.

Feel free to lobby the Government to pass your proposals, best of luck.. But don't bad mouth our troopers (who spend the best part of each year away from family and friends running these mundane tasks and at times putting themselves in harms way to in order to enforce those same 'soft' laws) that are doing the best they can with what the have.. particularly when you obviously know little of which you speak..

And those calling for more ships.. we currently have more ships than we can man, we have a personnel shortage of somewhere between 20 and 30 percent.. Perhaps we could pass a few more laws along with those proposed above, like mandatory military service..

I can hear the howls from here..

Anyway, still interested in what it is that you would propose the wimpy crew should have done..

Regards,

Buster

 

[Pat]

Busta,
What are your thoughts on the issue apart from tech/a's ramblings? I'm not asking about the crew at the time, but in your opinion should we (Australia as a nation) take a more aggressive approach to prevent these situations re-occurring? Or is the problem being dealt with in an appropriate manner all things considered?
Intrested.

 

[tech/a]

The points been made Buster,that the crews couldnt do any more than they have due to restraints.
Thw wimpish stand is from the Australian government.
I dont care who is in power they would all be the same.
Australia needs to get some back bone.

Same with the Japanese Whale fishing in Australian Arctic Waters.
Given the opportunity I'm sure Aussi service men and women would be more than Wimps.---Infact most Aussies would stand firm for country and countryman.