"Enemy of the State" tabled in Queensland
parliament
Mr S. Balson
extract Queensland Parliament Hansard 13th April 2000
Mr FELDMAN (Caboolture—CCAQ) (7.22 p.m.):
We here on this side of the House have
waited patiently and watched the Attorney-General to observe if the laws
of this State will be even-handedly applied by him and the Crown Law Office.
It appears that it will be a cold day in hell before Scott Balson will see
if the same even-handed approach to the application of the law is applied
to the Bulletin magazine as it was applied to him with respect to the naming
of the alleged child sex offender, Bill D'Arcy, appearing before the court.
Investigation and prosecution commenced immediately with respect to Balson.
However, the Bulletin magazine on 18 January 2000 also published the name
of Bill D'Arcy. I have a copy here and I will table it. A copy of this magazine
was displayed and openly available at any Queensland newsagency and book
store clearly publishing these details on page 10 in breach of the law. This
breach appears to be more clearly and openly done than having to book in,
log on, and keenly surf the Net to find the Australian news of the day on
the American web site, which was the case with Balson, but no action has
yet been seen to be taken against the Bulletin.
Queensland Council for Civil Liberties spokesman and Bill D'Arcy's legal
counsel, Mr Terry O'Gorman, on the ABC on 21 March 2000 raised the very same
question about the even-handedness of the law being applied. Perhaps an uppercut
to be given to the Attorney-General against the Bulletin magazine in the
case of the new book Enemy of The State—and I seek
the leave of the House to table that new book by Balson— may spur
the DPP into action. I also seek leave to table the copy of The Bulletin.
Leave granted.
Mr FELDMAN: As I said, we are sitting here waiting to see whether
action will be taken against the Bulletin magazine because the Bulletin magazine
appears to be too much of a big gun to be taken on by the DPP and the office
of the Attorney-General. Perhaps now the DPP and the Attorney-General may
be spurred on to take that action against the national magazine.