Hobart shooting.

This story will greatly upset members and families of the Tasmanian police service, and the public in general.

A Hobart shooting has left a sergeant in a critical condition and revealed just how useless the Port Arthur-inspired gun laws are. Take comfort in the fact that a suspect has been detained, and the new building (when completed) at Risdon should hold the bastard.

For Tasmanians, the shooting is a sad contrast to the freeing of miners Todd Russel and Brant Webb- whose story has captivated much of Australia- including the Tasmanian Times, which apparently offers a “challenge to the mass media's obsession with popularity, superficiality and celebrity”.

Let's hope Sgt. Cooper recovers fully, and his attacker gets what he deserves.