26 Pro Death Penalty Quotes by Politicians from Australasia Countries

	"I have always been against the death penalty," Mr Abbott said. "I sometimes find myself thinking, though, that there are some crimes so horrific that maybe that's the only way to adequately convey the horror of what's been done. "But look, it's not my policy to reintroduce the death penalty. If the matter ever came before the Federal Parliament it would be a conscience vote." [Saturday 20 February 2010] Mr Abbott said jailing people who caused mass deaths caused by acts of terrorism seemed an inadequate response. "Well, you know, what would you do with someone who cold-bloodedly brought about the deaths of hundreds or thousands of innocent people? I mean, you've got to ask yourself, what punishment would fit that crime? "That's when you do start to think that maybe the only appropriate punishment is death. "But as I said, the Coalition has no plans to reopen this and if the matter was to come before the Parliament it would be a conscience vote." Tony Abbott Anthony John "Tony" Abbott (born 4 November 1957) is the Leader of the Opposition in the Australian House of Representatives and federal leader of the centre-right Liberal Party of Australia.
	June 1, 2011 - Federal Coalition backbencher George Christensen has told Parliament he is in favour of capital punishment. Mr Christensen, from the Queensland seat of Dawson, spoke during a motion calling on Parliament to recommit to its bipartisan condemnation of the death penalty across the world. He says by banning the death penalty the Parliament gave the criminal an advantage over the victim. "I may be a minority in this place when I say I too support the death penalty for terrorists and for those found guilty of the most heinous of crimes - murder of a child, particularly those involving rape, murder of an elderly person or a person with disabilities, again particularly those involving rape," he said. "I also say that this House of Representatives, in supporting a motion such as this before us today, fails to live up to its name. "To be truly representative on this issue we would adhere to the views of the general public on this issue instead of the views of Amnesty International or the United Nations." Thursday, 14 March 2013 - OPPOSITION backbencher George Christensen is calling on state governments to stand-up for a re-introduction of the death penalty. The Mackay MP's comment in favour of the death penalty for serious crimes of murder involving sexual assault on Twitter today sparked instant controversy. He said it was up to Federal Government to clear the way by overriding an international convention adopted in 2009 by the former Rudd Government preventing states from imposing the death penalty. "I think that if state governments stand up and say they want to re-introduce it Federal Government should immediately replete that law," he said. "It is my personal view that when we see such heinous crimes as what we witnessed in Melbourne with Jill Meagher, who was sexually assaulted and murdered, the death penalty is probably warranted in situations like that. "I think the public should have a say on this, on whether they want it or not." Mr Christensen described the death of Mackay women Shandee Blackburn as a "tragedy", saying the public wanted to see just punishments for heinous crimes. "What I would say is if it was my daughter…and I think most people feel the same…they would want to see real justice for the perpetrator." George Christensen (born 30 June 1978), an Australian federal politician, is a member of the Australian House of Representatives representing the seat of Dawson in Queensland for the Liberal National Party of Queensland, elected at the 2010 federal election. He will sit with the National Party in Parliament.
	Mrs. Kelly says she's personally opposed to the call from some politicians and church leaders for a minute's silence. "A national minute's silence is observed on Remembrance Day in memory of the over 100 000 Australians from all conflicts who died for Australia." "To extend such an honour to a convicted Australian drug trafficker, I think, will confuse our young people and our Asian neighbours, as well as ourselves." Mrs. Kelly says she's been contacted by a number of veterans groups and individuals who are upset at calls for a minute's silence for Mr. Nguyen. She also says that Australia's message and position on the death penalty is confused. "When the Bali bombers were sentenced to death in Indonesia, many in Australia supported that publicly and the Australian government at the time said it would not oppose the death penalty, and yet now, we have a situation where an Australian convicted of drug trafficking, and I'm not drawing any comparison between terrorism and drug trafficking, but a convicted criminal happens to be an Australian has drawn an outcry." Mrs. Kelly says she's not speaking out against Mr. Nguyen's death sentence, because she has supported the death sentence being given in other cases in Asia. "Now, you can't accept it in one case and say we respect that Asian countries have the right to their own laws in sentencing, and then in another case that involves an Australian say no we don't." "Now because I was one of those who accepted the Indonesian sentence on the Bali bombers, I now feel that it would be most inappropriate for me to say, ah now, it's an Australian this time, I've got to change my view." De-Anne Margaret Kelly (born 21 March 1954), was an Australian politician. She was a National Party member of the Australian House of Representatives from March 1996 until November 2007, representing the Division of Dawson, Queensland. She was also the first female member of the National Party to win a seat in the House of Representatives. She was born in Rockhampton, Queensland, and was educated at the University of Queensland. She was a business proprietor, cattle producer and sugar-cane farmer before entering politics.
	It comes after Liberal MP Bernie Finn called for capital punishment to be brought back as the ultimate punishment for drug lords. "I would definitely consider it because they are causing a lot misery to a lot of people," Mr Butcher said. In arguing for capital punishment, Mr Finn said drug runner and gangster Carl Williams was a merchant of death who should have been executed rather than left to die in prison. [Saturday 12 February 2011] But the outspoken western suburbs MP said, “The only way to keep children safe from the scourge of drugs was to bring back capital punishment.” "These drug lords don't deserve to breathe the same air as us," Mr Finn told Parliament. "I believe if we were to adopt it we would send a very clear message to these people who deal in death and misery." Wednesday 28 November 2012 - A PROMINENT western suburbs politician has said he is open to discussion about the return of the death penalty in Victoria, following the grisly discovery of a woman’s body in Point Cook. Member for the Western Metropolitan Region, Bernie Finn, told Star last week the discovery of 22-year-old Sarah Cafferkey’s body in a Point Cook home had made him rethink his views on capital punishment. “I have to say I have been sickened by this incident and I could be open to being convinced on introducing the death penalty for murder,” Mr Finn said. “My view is I support capital punishment for terrorists and drug lords but given the sickening nature of crimes we are seeing of late, I am not as opposed to it being used in cases of murder as I used to be.” Steven James Hunter was arrested last week over the murder of Ms Cafferkey and it has been reported that he was previously sentenced to 16 years in prison over the murder of an 18-year-old school girl in 1986. Mr Finn said he was not judging Mr Hunter prematurely and he was entitled to a fair trial but he welcomed debate about the use of capital punishment. “If the allegations that have been raised about this incident are correct then the system has broken down,” he said. “I’m open to hearing the views of residents. The best form of enquiry is for residents to voice their opinions.” Mr Finn also said women needed to be as careful as possible in the wake of the attack that has shocked Wyndham residents. “As the father of three daughters it horrifies me,” he said. “My kids are going to be out and about soon and I am worried for them.” Bernard (Bernie) Thomas Christopher Finn (born 14 April 1961) is a member of the Victorian Legislative Council representing the Western Metropolitan Region since the election of November 2006. He was previously the member for the electoral district of Tullamarine in the Victorian Legislative Assembly from October 1992 until September 1999. Bernie Finn was the number one candidate on the Liberal Party of Australia ticket in the Western Metropolitan Region in 2006 and was the only candidate from that party elected in the region, the other four comprising three from the Australian Labor Party and one Greens candidate. Finn is a strong opponent of abortion and every year organises the March for Babies in Melbourne. Finn is also a strong supporter of the British Monarchy. Before entering Parliament, Finn was a small businessman, broadcaster and a media and ministerial adviser to a federal parliamentarian. Finn is married to Cathy and has four children.
	Mr Finn was backing up the maiden speech by fellow Liberal MP Andrew Elsbury in support of capital punishment. "I believe there are some crimes so abhorrent that the death penalty is justified. These include acts of murder, drug trafficking or production in commercial quantities, and terrorism," Mr Elsbury told the Parliament. [Saturday 12 February 2011] Andrew Warren Elsbury (born 7 March 1979) is an Australian politician representing the Liberal Party of Australia in the Victorian Legislative Council.
	"I have always said that in certain cases of mass murderers and serial killers and terrorists there should be the option there of the death penalty,'' he said. "The fact that 72 per cent of people who responded to my survey agreed with me says something. Though it's unlikely that the party will adopt a policy on capital punishment, I am pretty sure they will share my concerns in other areas.'' [Thursday 2 August 2007] Rob Johnson A.K.A The Honourable Robert Frank Johnson MLA JP (born 17 October 1943 in London, England) is an English Australian politician, being a Liberal member of the Western Australian Legislative Assembly representing the electorate of Hillarys.
	"It's a 5-year-old girl we're talking about here.'' Mr Cooper said incidents like this made him wonder why the death penalty had been abolished. "They [the offender] do not deserve to live on this planet,'' he told The Daily Post. "Why did our forebears get rid of the death penalty? Is this going to become a daily occurrence? What can I say? ... He is damn lucky it's not my daughter or granddaughter," he told a Fairfax reporter. [Friday 23 December 2011] Rick Cooper is the current Mayor of Taupo -The Mayor of Taupo is the head of the municipal government of Taupo, New Zealand, and presides over the Taupo District Council. The Mayor is directly elected using a First Past the Post electoral system. The office was established on 1 December 1989 after the formation of the Taupo District Council. The Current Mayor is Rick Cooper who was elected in 2007.
	October 03, 2008 12:00AM Referring to the Bali Bombers’s execution Yesterday, Opposition Leader Malcolm Turnbull echoed the hard line taken by Mr Rudd and, before him, John Howard. "They have been tried, convicted and sentenced in accordance with Indonesian law," Mr Turnbull said. "They have committed horrific crimes. I have no sympathy for them." Malcolm Bligh Turnbull (born 24 October 1954) is an Australian politician. He has been a member of the Australian House of Representatives since 2004, and was Leader of the Opposition and parliamentary leader of the Liberal Party from 16 September 2008 to 1 December 2009.
	CAVUTO: Finally, Mr. Prime Minister, if we were to catch Usama bin Laden, would you kill him? HOWARD: Well, I think he would be dealt with in accordance with United States law and that does provide for capital punishment. CAVUTO: Would you welcome that? HOWARD: Oh, I think everybody would. CAVUTO: Mr. Prime Minister. Thank you very much. HOWARD: If he were caught and punished and dealt with in. On 16 February 2003 the Australian PM said in a Sunday morning television interview that the Bali bombers “should be dealt with in accordance with Indonesian law. …and if [the death penalty] is what the law of Indonesia provides, well, that is how things should proceed. There won’t be any protest from Australia”. In early March 2003 the PM told US television that he would welcome the death penalty for Osama Bin Laden. “I think everybody would”, Mr Howard said. In response to these comments: "Foreign Minister Alexander Downer said Australia would not intervene if bin Laden was to be executed.’I personally have never supported the death penalty but in the case of Osama bin Laden, I don't think that too many tears would be shed if he was executed, bearing in mind all the people he's responsible for killing." John Winston Howard AC SSI (born 26 July 1939) was the 25th Prime Minister of Australia, from 11 March 1996 to 3 December 2007. He was the second-longest serving Australian Prime Minister after Sir Robert Menzies.
	According to Hansard, in 1992, Mr Windsor, told state Parliament: "I do not see the death penalty as a barbaric act, which is the sort of argument that civil libertarians tend to put forward when this issue is being addressed." Mr Windsor, who recently said he would be a long-haired hippie if he could grow the hair, said in 1992 that he was speaking out after constituents visited him, shocked at the murder and sexual assault of nine-year-old school girl Ebony Simpson. "During the weekend following the death of Ebony Simpson, some of my constituents visited me and expressed their concerns about atrocities being committed upon members of our community, particularly our children. They requested that I raise the issue for community debate. "I was not opposed to that at all. I agreed that in certain extreme circumstances where there is absolutely no doubt that the offender has committed a horrendous crime the judicial system should have the option of imposing the death penalty,'' he said in 1992. In 1994, Mr Windsor introduced the Capital Punishment Referendum Bill. It was backed by a petition of 400,000 signatures calling on the death penalty to be reinstated. Tony Windsor A.K.A Antony Harold Curties "Tony" Windsor (born 2 September 1950) is an Australian politician. He was an independent member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly from 1991 to 2001, representing the electorate of Tamworth. He subsequently entered federal politics, serving as an independent member of the Australian House of Representatives from 2001 to 2013, representing the electorate of New England. He was one of several MPs who supported the Gillard minority Labor government from 2010 to 2013, and retired at the 2013 federal election.
	LABOR leader Kevin Rudd has scolded a senior member of his team for an anti-death penalty speech, saying a Labor Government would never attempt to overturn the death penalty for a convicted terrorist. "We will not be making interventions diplomatically in support of any terrorists anywhere, anytime," he said. October 03, 2008 12:00AM KEVIN Rudd has dismissed threats of retribution from the Bali bombers, saying the three men have earned their fate. Mr Rudd yesterday brushed aside warnings by the men that their supporters would seek revenge if their executions went ahead. "The Bali bombers describe themselves as holy warriors. I say the Bali bombers are cowards and murderers, pure and simple, and frankly they can make whatever threats they like," the Prime Minister said. "They deserve the justice that we delivered to them." Kevin Michael Rudd (born 21 September 1957) is an Australian politician and former Prime Minister of Australia. He has been the member for the House of Representatives seat of Griffith for the Australian Labor Party since the 1998 federal election. He was the 26th Prime Minister of Australia, from December 2007 until June 2010, when he stood down in favour of Julia Gillard.
	“Young man, if you want to win the election . . . there is one thing that will get you over the line and that is if you reintroduce capital punishment.” [Speaking to Jeffrey Gibb Kennett in 1985] Sir Henry Edward Bolte GCMG (20 May 1908 - 4 January 1990) was an Australian politician. He was the 38th and longest serving Premier of Victoria.
	Mr Kennett said there were times when he had heard of an offender who should "sacrifice their life for what they've done". "But you've got to be so very, very sure and I would always err on the side of caution," he said. He said while Bolte recognised political gain in the death penalty, "I think he also believed it was the right thing to do morally". Sir Jeffrey Gibb Kennett AC (born 2 March 1948), a former Australian politician, was the Premier of Victoria between 1992 and 1999.