Serial drink driver jailed for manslaughter

A serial drink driver, drunk and high on drugs when he killed an innocent motorist, has been sentenced to at least six years jail in Tasmania.

Supreme Court Justice Shan Tennent, in handing out one of the state's harshest-ever sentences for vehicular manslaughter on Wednesday, said 37-year-old Jason Harris's driving record was appalling.

His crime was one of the worst of its kind, Justice Tennent said.

"You were an accident waiting to happen and could easily have killed or injured several other road users," she told Harris.

The unemployed Launceston man earlier this month pleaded guilty to the manslaughter of Dawn Lodge, 49, in a head-on collision in Fingal, on the state's east coast, on January 12.

Harris had continued to drive despite having had his licence disqualified five times, four times for drink driving.

He had been convicted of driving whilst disqualified five times and was given a three-month suspended jail sentence for drink driving a month before killing Mrs Lodge.

She was killed instantly on an urban road when Harris veered into the path of her car at 135km/h after smoking cannabis and drinking enough to return a blood alcohol level of 0.109, the court was told.

Her 18-year-old son James, a passenger in his mother's car, escaped any serious physical injury.

Harris survived the collision, suffering serious injuries and some brain damage.

The court was told he can't remember the event.

"I have no doubt both Mr Lodge and his son will suffer the effects of this accident for the rest of their lives and that nothing this court may do will change that," Justice Tennent said.

She said Harris drove in a dangerous manner on highways for about 90 minutes, putting a number of other drivers at risk, before killing Mrs Lodge.

"The consequences of your actions have been the worst imaginable," Justice Tennent said.

"This case can only be described as a very bad example of a crime of this nature and a significant sentence is required."

Justice Tennent convicted Harris and sentenced him to serve at least six years of a seven year jail term.

She disqualified Harris from driving for 15 years, until he reaches the age of 52.

He has to pay a victim of crime compensation levy of $50.

Jail for death drivers

Two young men have been sentenced to a combined total of 10 years prison for killing a motorcyclist in Tasmania's south last year.

23 year old Haden Hori Anderson and 22 year old David Gallagher hung their heads as Justice Pierre Slicer read out their fate.

The Hobart Criminal Court heard Anderson and Gallagher were racing each other at high speeds when Anderson's car hit 25 year old motorcyclist Aaron Bumford, near Franklin, killing him instantly .

Justice Slicer said the crash was horrendous and has had a devastating effect on Mr Bumford's family.

Anderson was sentenced to six years prison for manslaughter, and Gallagher received four years for causing death by dangerous driving.

More time urged for abused ward compo

Hundreds of Tasmanians have already been compensated for the cruelty, violence and neglect they suffered while in state care.

Tasmanian Premier, David Bartlett is being urged to extend the deadline for people who were abused as wards of the state in Tasmania to apply for compensation.

Hundreds of Tasmanians have already been compensated for the cruelty, violence and neglect they suffered while in state care.

But after complaints from people who missed out on the first scheme, the Government opened a new and final round, with three months to apply and $10 million on offer.

The Government says at the beginning of May, 390 people had applied for redress.

Leonie Sheedy, from the support network CLAN, says the June 30 deadline should be extended, or others will miss out.

"We're going to be faced with the same situation all over again, in six months time," she said.

"I'd like to ask the Premier of Tasmania to extend the deadline for people to put in their applications, because the Queensland Government have extended their redress scheme."

Ms Sheedy says she is still hearing from people who have only just heard of the compensation scheme.

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Tas lags in support youth leaving state care

A new report has revealed Tasmania could be doing more to provide resources and support for young people leaving state care.

The Create Foundation report shows Tasmania has few transition services and the lowest budget for people leaving care.

It focuses on young people who have reached the age of 18 and left care , or those younger who have already made independent living arrangements.

It found when people leave the state care system without support, they are more likely to enter the Juvenile Justice System.

Jacqui Reed from Create, says young people moving from state care are vulnerable and the government is responsible for ensuring they are supported.

The Tasmanian Government allocates just over $1,500 to help each young person move from state care, when on average, all other states pay more than $5,000 per person.

In most states, assistance is provided until the person turns 25, but in Tasmania it stops at age 21.

Unfair tax on gays: activist

There are concerns same sex couples could be financially worse off under the Federal Budget.

The gay and lesbian rights group, Coming Out Proud, says this year's budget treats all same sex couples as de facto relationships.

The group's Julian Punch says this will mean some couples could lose welfare benefits and be taxed on double incomes because their relationship is not recognised as having the same value as a marriage.

He wants the Federal Government to recognise same sex civil unions nationally to avoid tax discrimination.

"At the moment, currently and with the previous government, as facist as it was, our relationships were just in a no person zone, they weren't accepted they weren't recognised," he said.

"Now the government's going to recognise them for the purposes of tax accruements."

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Unsafe corporations, unsafe sex, drugs, binge drinking 'normal' for teens: study

Researchers say the tax on alcopops will do little to curb binge drinking which is seen as 'normal' (Get Images)

A university study has found binge drinking is the tip of the iceberg when it comes to teenage risk-taking behaviour.

Education researchers at the University of Tasmania surveyed 1,000 parents and 1,000 high school students over five years about their perception of risky behaviours.

Thirteen per cent of students surveyed said they got "blind drunk" regularly while 43 per cent said they did so occasionally.

Education researcher, Professor Joan Abbott-Chapman, says she was surprised to find that many young people do not regard binge drinking as high-risk.

"Teenagers seem to think that normal teenage behaviour includes drinking alcohol, smoking cigarettes and to a certain degree smoking marijuana and also to a lesser extent unsafe sex," she said.

Professor Abbott-Chapman says parental involvement in setting standards can reduce teenage risk-taking behaviour.

"And it's the teenagers who rely only on peer groups for support or feel isolated and have no one to turn to these are the ones that tend to drink more and we also found that school engagement was also involved," she said.

Alcopop tax little use [to corporations]


The Federal Government's tax on so called 'alcopops' is likely to have only a minimal impact on teenage binge drinking according the researchers [from the business association?]

Taxes on pre-mixed alcoholic drinks have increased by around 70 per cent, making them to $1.30 more expensive, in a bid to curb binge drinking.

Professor Abbott-Chapman says more needs to be done to address the problem.

"The effects are likely to be marginal unless they are linked to a widespread range of community and family programs which tackle some of the problems of social and educational engagement or disengagement rather," she said.

Updaedt 350:pm (AEST)

Greens want alco-pops tax revenue spent on alcohol education

Greens leader Bob Brown says his party will not be inclined to support the Government's increased tax on pre-mixed drinks unless the money is put aside to combat alcohol abuse.

The Coalition says it will block the legislation to approve the 70 per cent tax increase, which is expected to give the government $3 billion in revenue.

Senator Brown says the Greens do support the tax and believe it will reduce consumption of so-called alco-pops.

But he says the revenue raised must be spent on education and health programs.

"We're not inclined to support this legislation unless there's a program for re-mediating the impact of alcohol abuse goes with it, in other words unless a sizeable part of this money goes to tackling the big problem of alcohol abuse in our communities" he said.

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