The Opposition is calling for the ACT police to have greater powers to issue on-the-spot fines. They can already give on-the-spot fines for certain offences, but Bill Stefaniak wants to see these include swearing, fighting, urinating and indecent exposure.
My concern would be with where the line is drawn, particularly with offensive language. For example “F**k you, you f**king c**t” is clearly offensive, while “Oh s**t” is borderline. Is it up to the cops to make these decisions or is it defined in the law?
Of course the Police Association supports the move.