![]() PM condemns hyphenated inequality 20jan06 PRIME Minister John Howard has backed NSW Opposition Leader Peter Debnam amid Labor criticism of the state Liberal leader's comments on ethnic crime. Mr Debnam has criticised the failure by police to arrest people of Middle Eastern descent who carried out revenge attacks after the Cronulla Beach riot on December 11. New South Wales Premier Morris Iemma has accused Mr Debnam of setting a bad example for the community by showing no respect for police. But Mr Howard today defended Mr Debnam. "I am not going to buy into what's the cut and thrust of state politics in NSW except to observe the leader of the opposition is doing a very good job of articulating his party's position," Mr Howard said. "I think Peter Debnam has done very well as an opposition leader and he enjoys my full support." On the issue of ethnic crime, Mr Howard said he believed the law should be applied without regard to a person's background. "What I believe is when people break the law, irrespective of their background, they should be relentlessly pursued and punished," he said. "The very essence of all of these things is to treat everybody as an Australian and not a hyphenated Australian."
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