Why is 'get tougher' the politicians' default response to every crime issue?

It would be more forgiveable if the Premier really believed that deportations, tough talk and extra police were really the solution to crime and violence.

Sadly, Mr Carr shows glimpses of understanding what is actually required – namely, constructive policies that tackle poverty and unemployment, boost education, prevent crime and rehabilitate criminals.

After the State election, the Premier went to the Parramatta Transitional Centre and said that the debate on crime should focus on giving criminals and potential criminals “vocational skills, living skills, help with family … [and with] the problems of drug dependency, gambling dependency”.

The Greens said this all through the election campaign, but we never heard it from Premier Carr until the votes were safely in the ballot box.

At Parramatta, Mr Carr also said: “During the election [there was] as always a lot of focus on sentencing issues, on law and order, and politicians accused of beating the law-and-order drum. There’s more to the debate than a politician standing on a street corner and saying let’s have longer sentences.”

But the only short sentences Mr Carr seems to know are those that he recites from John Howard’s political manual – the ones that push buttons in marginal seats.

At Parramatta, Mr Carr showed that he knows what must be done. But the rest of the time, he offers nothing more than law and order rhetoric. When it comes to crime, Mr Carr’s words speak louder than his actions.