Wasn’t it nice to see Steve Price spruiking for national service on Channel Ten’s 7pm Project the other night? Remember him?  He was the bloke on 3AW radio who used to call people names before hanging up when he didn’t agree with what they had to say. He now reckons a stint in the army will reduce the amount of violence on the streets. Of course not everyone will be conscripted. Professional footballers -  they never play up late at night - university students and we think tradies will be exempt from national service under Steve’s plan. As we all know it’s the unemployed who are spending the hard-earned on mixed drinks and speed and engaging in pitched battles outside Melbourne’s nightclubs.

Nothing like an old, class based approach to dealing with violence. The good news is that if we give everyone with a penchant for violence a rifle the streets will be much safer!  Remember Julian Knight? The Labour movement of course - as the attached union endorsed leaflet from 1917 confirms - has never supported national service. Contrary to reports in the media, youth worker Les Twentyman – whom the ETU supported in the Kororoit byelection – says he does not support a ‘nasho’ plan. Just for the record, the leaflet was banned in some states.