Telegraph says: No excuse for youthful wildness on the northern beaches

There are only excuses for youthful wildness fuelled by drugs and alcohol and reasons are never given. For the kids living in the affluent and beautiful suburbs on Sydney’s northern beaches, excuses don’t cut it.

There are never any reasons for youthful wildness fuelled by drugs and alcohol. There are only excuses. Granted, some of these ­excuses are more plausible than others.

Teenagers and young adults stuck in areas with high unemployment and few recreational outlets may turn to drugs and ­alcohol as a means of avoiding harsh realities.

As well, children from broken families — of any background — may also be drawn to alcohol and illicit chemicals.

But the vast majority of kids on Sydney’s northern beaches don’t have any excuses at all. They live in a rich area, enjoy many recreational opportunities and want for little.

Yet recently the malevolence of northern suburbs teens reached such a peak that Northern Beaches Commander Sup­erintendent Dave Darcy was moved to write a letter to area parents.

Northern Beaches Commander Dave Darcy. Picture: Joel Carrett

Superintendent Darcy emphasised in his letter the surprising freedoms apparently being granted to children as young as 13 and 14, “who are roaming our streets at midnight under the ­influence of alcohol or drugs.

“It’s behaviour that’s escal­ated from the problematic to, in some cases, the criminal,” Superintendent Darcy added. “People, including police, are being attacked and injured.”

He’s had enough, and now Superintendent Darcy intends using police bodycams and ­security cameras on buses in order to identify and shame ­offenders, and also to bring the issue home, in a very literal sense, to parents who are not controlling their wayward ­children.

“If we don’t stop them on the night,” warns the superintendent, “we will use the video and audio captured on these cam­eras to determine who they are, where they live and come knocking on their parents’ door.” Good move.

Speaking to The Daily Telegraph, Superintendent Darcy was at pains to point out that the troublemakers were very much in a small minority, but that they made up for their lack of numbers with a truly alarming level of pointless fury. “I do want to stress this is a group of two hundred or so out of thousands of teenagers across the area,” he said. “It is not a crisis but a group we want to get a message to (which is) that it is unacceptable to behave this way and you will be caught.” They need to grow up. And so do their parents.

Our little pollie magnets

There are winners and losers in every election campaign. And there are some unfortunates who are losers while the campaign is still underway.

Australia’s infants normally get through their days with the support of loving and attentive parents.

Bill Shorten holds baby Phoebe in Tasmania. Picture: Lukas Coch

During election campaigns, however, the nation’s babies become magnets for politicians eager to demonstrate their affection for children.

Babies can’t offer detailed verbal objections and, because they don’t actually do much, are unable to withdraw their labour in protest. But maybe it’s time to give the little ones a break.

Daley still a factor in NSW

The failed campaign of former NSW Labor leader Michael Daley still hangs over Labor’s bid to prevail across NSW in this Saturday’s federal election.

One of Daley’s more memorable missteps was to praise China to Chinese newspapers but to criticise Chinese immigration when talking to voters.

Former Labor leader Michael Daley. Picture: Joel Carrett

Revelations of Daley’s doubletalk hurt him in two areas. Firstly, it damaged his standing in the eyes of the Chinese-Australian community. And secondly, he appeared to alter his message depending upon the audience he was addressing.

These factors, and a leaders’ debate that showed how lacking in detailed policy awareness was Daley compared to Premier Gladys Berejiklian, contributed to Labor’s state defeat.

According to state-by-state Newspoll figures, NSW is still holding strong for the Coalition while the likes of Victoria and South Australia seem likely to deliver Labor gains.

Numbers in the NSW seat of Reid, in particular, tell a very interesting story — but neither Daley nor federal Labor leader Bill Shorten may wish to hear it.