Treason against the government is much more serious than freedom of speech, much more than speak out against the law of the government.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Treason
In case of perjury, when you testify in the court, you should speak the truth, nothing but the truth. Perjury causes serious (sometimes catastrophe) consequence. How could you justify all the wrong doings? Justice should only look at the face value and consequences of the crime, not the reason behind it. There are reasons behind pretty much every crime.
Are you trying to justify drug trafficking? He may not have the intention to kill anyone but his action could destroy numerous lives. Do you know how many lives especially teenagers have been destroyed due to drug??Obviously Van did not have any intentions of killing anyone.
Don't live the life you can't afford? Sure, he and his brother owed like AU$35,000. That is quite a bit, but doesn't justify him to become a drug dealer. He and his brother could have worked hard to pay back the debt slowly like other people instead of find a quick way out. He knew exactly what he was doing. Justice only care about what the person have done, not the reason behind it. Being poor does not justify wrong doing. Trust me, there are lot and lot of people that are much poorer than him and they live a honest life.He was unemployed for months. He had to repay his brother as well as his own debt. Sometimes a person is forced to do things they don't want to. Even if he had found a cheap job, he still wouldn't have been able to pay off the loan. I'm not saying what he did was right, but you shouldn't always be so dismissing and judgmental without knowing the full picture.