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In this episode of Hearsay, I’ll dig in to the issue of homelessness, looking at how a media campaign can lead to new criminal laws, how we have criminalised poverty and homelessness through history, and how the City of Melbourne is empowered to create new crimes (even if the Lord Mayor doesn’t really understand that’s what he is proposing). Are we returning to the old days of locking up “idle persons” and “incorrigible rogues”?
Summary Matters (00:52)
- Canberra Times: Anthony Mundine v Danny Green: man streams fight through Facebook page
- Victoria Park Racing & Recreation Grounds Co Ltd v Taylor [1937] HCA 45; (1937) 58 CLR 479 (26 August 1937)
- The Age: Daniel Andrews won’t rush changes to bail laws
- The Age: Bourke Street: Daniel Andrews announces new night court for bail requests
- ABC: Defence drops plans for compulsory acquisition of Queensland farmland
- The Australian: It’s war: farmers to fight forced sale for foreign troop exercises
- ABC: Graziers call on Barnaby Joyce to halt Defence plans for Shoalwater Bay land acquisition
- Constitution of Australia, s 51(xxxi)
- Victorian Law Reform Commission: People should have the right to leave funeral and burial instructions
- Victorian Law Reform Commission: Funeral and Burial Instructions: Final Report
- The Hon Robert French AC: Rights and Freedoms and the Rule of Law, 2017 Law Oration (video)
Examination-in-Chief (09:18)
- Herald Sun: Almost 7400 Victorians homeless, government figures reveal
- City of Melbourne: StreetCount
- City of Melbourne: Homelessness in the city
- Australian Human Rights Commission: Homelessness is a human rights issue
- UN Special Rapporteur on adequate housing as a component of the right to an adequate standard of living: Report on 2006 Mission to Australia
- Crikey: How the Herald Sun declared war on Melbourne’s homeless
- Crikey: ‘Don’t pick on Brighton’ reporter slams Melbourne’s homeless people
- Herald Sun: Rita Panahi: Aggressive beggars turning Melbourne from the world’s most liveable city into cesspit
- Herald Sun: Melbourne’s city streets to be swept clean of ‘unsightly’ homeless camps
- Herald Sun: Melbourne homeless: Half of people sleeping on streets not genuine homeless, says Salvation Army
- Herald Sun: Hate won’t help Melbourne’s homeless: Salvation Army Major Brendan Nottle
- Herald Sun: Homeless people are mocking Melbourne, writes Christopher Bantick
- Paul Ocobock: Vagrancy and Homelessness in Global and Historical Perspective
- An Act for the better Prevention of Vagrancy and Other Offences (1852, Vic)
- Vagrancy Act 1966 (Vic)
- Parliament of Victoria, Scrutiny of Acts and Regulations Committee: Inquiry into the Vagrancy Act 1966: final report (2002)
- The Age: Begging to remain a criminal offence
- Justice Connect: Asking for Change position paper
- Parity: A Glass Half Empty: Perspectives on Criminalising Homelessness and Alcohol Dependence
- Summary Offences Act 1966 (Vic)
- City of Greater Geelong: Neighbourhood Amenity Local Law 2009
- City of Stonnington: General Local Law 2008
- City of Melbourne: Activities Local Law 2009
- Mornington Peninsula Shire Council: General Purposes Local Law 2012
- The Project: Melbourne Homeless Ban
- Constitution Act 1975 (Vic), s 74A
- Local Government Act 1989 (Vic)
- City of Melbourne, Homelessness and local laws
- City of Melbourne, Future Melbourne Committee Meeting, 7 February 2017
- City of Melbourne: Activities Local Law 2008 including changes proposed February 2017
- Monash University Criminal Justice Research Consortium: An Examination of the Impact of Unpaid Infringement Notices on Disadvantaged Groups and the Criminal Justice System – Towards a Best Practice Model
- The Age: It might be a blanket ban but lawyers say outlawing camping is ‘ridiculous’
- Parity: One Decade On: Fines, Infringements and Homelessness Continued…
- Justice Connect: Closing the revolving door
- City of Melbourne: Council endorses proposed change to its local laws
Address in Reply (46:19)
Learned Friends (47:02)
- ABCTV: Newton’s Law (available on iView until late April)
- Film Victoria: Courting success: Newton’s Law premieres in February
- Victorian Bar: Constitution, cl 9.1(a)
Adjournment (48:54)
- ABC: Prince Leonard of Hutt River Principality abdicates to son Graeme
- ABC: Hutt River Principality now ruled by Prince Graeme as Prince Leonard stands aside
- The West Australian: Should the Prince of Hutt River pay taxes?
- Welcome to the Principality of Hutt River
If you have comments, questions, or suggestions for future topics, I’d love to hear from you. There are a few ways you can reach me:
- Leave a comment below.
- Send me an email at robert@hearsaypodcast.com.
- Say hi to @hearsaycast on Twitter.
- You can also leave a voice message that I might include in a future episode.
I hope to hear from you soon.