What happened to the moral panic about a charter of rights?

LESS than three months after the outrage over a toddler's death led to tougher penalties for police pursuits, three more people, including a four-month-old boy, have lost their lives in a police chase.

'IF WE can remove the obstacles for older Australians who want to work, we not only improve the quality of their life but we also strengthen the economy." Treasurer Wayne Swan made these remarks when he launched the Intergenerational Report this month, a document crammed full of sobering reflections on..read more

THE crowds welcoming the new year may have been forgiven for a little extra fervour in their celebrations. Thank heavens 2009 is dead and gone. It had more than its share of bad news and disappointments; 2010 could not be much worse - could it?

Perhaps it was long overdue, but the apology by the Government of Australia, and soon Britain, is to be applauded ("Tears for victims, cheers for their courage", November 17). However, as I watched some of the heartbreaking television interviews, it occurred to me that the apology seemed one-sided.