Greenough representative Kevin Minson tabled a petition...

Greenough representative Kevin Minson tabled a petition in the Legislative Assembly calling for a referendum on the death penalty. Minson said he supported the death penalty in extreme murder cases where atrocities had been committed and there was indisputable independent evidence of guilt. The petition was promoted by farmer Ruth Gould, who collected 2,743 signatures in favour of a poll. Gould said that recent forensic advances, such as DNA testing, made it less likely that innocent people would be convicted. "We do have to have some deterrent," she said. Ruth Gould has won the support of high-profile 81-year-old crime fighter Joan Torr, who presented a 20,000-signature petition to State Parliament in 1999, part of which called for the death penalty for wilful murderers and drug barons. Torr said a referendum was necessary so WA people could have their say.