Friday, 31st March, 2006

NSW Premier Morris Iemma holds a seat in the NSW Parliament that represents a significant proportion of Sydney's middle eastern community. That presents him with an added difficulty as gang warfare fought with guns again breaks out in the city's western suburbs. Opposition Leader Peter Debnam knows he strikes a chord with the wider public every time he suggests that Labor is soft on dealing with ethnic crime. Mr Iemma knows he loses votes in his own electorate if he sounds too tough on Middle Eastern youth.

This week Mr Debnam described Sydney's southwestern suburbs as a "war zone". Mr Iemma called his opponent "hysterical". The pollsters will soon present their verdict but I am sure that every bullet fired causes support for the Labor Government to fall.

See my earlier thoughts on this subject at ALP relations with Lebanese affects police treatment.