A BRISBANE Catholic priest claims Prime Minister Kevin Rudd may be jeopardising efforts to save convicted drug mule Scott Rush from execution for his role in the attempted importation of heroin from Bali to Australia in 2005.
Fr Tim Harris said now that Mr Rudd had gained power, he had become more like former Prime Minister John Howard in endorsing the death penalty for the three Bali Bombers, and that this stance would “undermine efforts to save Scott Rush”.
Fr Harris, of the Corinda-Graceville parish, where Scott and another member of the Bali Nine Michael Czugaj were once parishioners, made the claim after attending an October 10 World Anti-Death Penalty Day event in Brisbane organised by Australians Against Capital Punishment (AACP).
“The Prime Minister recently declared in an interview that the three Bali bombers facing pending execution deserved the justice that will be delivered to them,” Fr Harris said.
“This attitude will certainly not go against Mr Rudd politically; in fact it will probably get him votes – it goes over well when people hear him say he wants the bombers executed.
“However, it’s not consistent with Mr Rudd’s talk of seeking clemency for Scott.”
Fr Harris said his opposition to the death penalty did not mean that he supported what either Scott or the bombers had done.
“However, Scott was a drug mule, not a mastermind,” he said. “It’s very concerning that he has been linked to the masterminds and now as a result is on death row.
“All indications are that Scott’s punishment is totally out of proportion to his crime.”
Scott Rush was arrested with eight other Australians on April 17, 2005, in Denpasar, Bali, while trying to smuggle 8.3kg of heroin to Australia.
The Corinda-Graceville parish priest said he was considering going to Bali to visit both Scott Rush and Michael Czugaj in prison.
Australian Jesuit Father Frank Brennan is visiting Scott at Kerbokan prison.
In March this year, Fr Gerry Hefferan, who was parish priest of Graceville when Scott was a student at Christ the King school, visited him.
