The anti-terrorism legislation is just another excuse for more power for those who will no doubt use it for other reasons...........

How it is
http://www.users.bigpond.com/burnside/dunstan.htm
In 1996, it all went wrong. In the time of Dickens, John Howard might have aspired to be the Parish beadle. He has all the right qualifications: limited horizons, antiquarian values, a narrow vision, and a taste for harsh rules rigidly enforced. He came to the Lodge with a vision which looked backwards to the time before Menzies gained power. In many ways, his world view makes Menzies seem progressive.

Arbitrary Arrest, Detention, and Exile

http://www.hrw.org/reports/1999/cuba/Cuba996-02.htm

Cuba frequently subjects nonviolent dissidents to arbitrary arrests and detentions. Human rights activists and independent journalists are among the government's most frequent targets, along with independent labor organizers, religious believers, members of independent political parties, organizations of independent academics and medical professionals, environmental activists, and others. These improper arrests and detentions, which serve as intimidating measures designed to silence dissent, violate Article 9 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Cuba often ratchets up pressure on government opponents by subjecting them to repeated arrests, short-or long-term detentions, or criminal prosecutions. In many cases, the government then presents activists with the "choice" to go to prison, or continue serving a prison term, or be exiled from their homeland. This practice violates the UDHR, which explicitly prohibits governments from exiling citizens from their own country.1

We have just remembered 30 years ago a statement made by Gough Whitlam that Sir John Kerr ended democracy by his sacking of a government placed there by the will of the people. Did democracy cease that day? According to Pickering in the Sun Herald it did. I have his original pen cartoon hanging on my office wall. We constantly have the doomsday prophets proclaiming it's death. Obviously it died 30 years ago if you were to believe the prophets of Whitlam's day.

According to leftwing views anything done by the Liberal right means the sky has caved in; but funnily enough the left are still able to give their failed prophecies.

Scout
“but then why would you leave an opportunity to sneer at someone with whom you disagree go by?”

You Invited my response – and whine when you get it.

I guess there is just no pleasing some people.

As for
“The crux of the article is that arrests were made of alleged terrorists with the existing laws
- had they been made with the new laws would we even know about it?
If we did, would we be allowed to discuss it?
Would there be a fair trial?”

Why do you think we would not know about it?

What makes you assume we would not be allowed to discuss “it”; particularly when omit to define exactly what “it” is or even which “it” you are referring to.

How does the ability to arrest and detain someone influence the outcome of a criminal trial which is held under the auspices of a different set of individuals and laws concerning process and conduct?

Felix – exile – the only people likely for “exile” from Australia are those who were born as aliens, who have been found by the courts as behaving as aliens, despite possibly acquiring citizenship by application and thus have a land of birth to be “exiled” to.

As for your disparaging analogy of John Howard to the Dickens Beadle – like dear Mrs Thatcher said and as I often quote

“I always cheer up immensely if an attack is particularly wounding because I think, well, if they attack one personally, it means they have not a single political argument left.”

I observe it did not take long for your “debating well” to run dry of your own political argument.

Philo – absolutely right – the left whine and whinge and yet they are the worst in office, meddling and interfering in the freedoms of individuals in the name of a faceless “society” (of which the individuals who comprise it are the first to suffer their meddling incompetence) -

Bracks Anti-Vilification Laws an example.

Col, Col, Col – so easy to bait. I just keep reeling you in. So eager to cast personal insults you are oblivious to the fact that your maligning of others not only reveals you as a bully but undermines any validity to your arguments. But keep ‘em coming, nothing like watching you hang yourself each time you let loose with some irrelevant vitriol.

As to your question “Why do you think we would not know about it?” If you had bothered to read the link I provided there would be no need to ask.

As I am a generous and helpful person here is an extract which I hope you can decipher.

“The arrests this week were subject to full public scrutiny, and the same will be true as the cases are processed through the courts. Subject to the normal laws relating to suppression of matters involving sensitive information — both for security reasons and in order to ensure a fair trial for the accused — the public will be entitled to know what is going on, and those representing or supporting the accused person can publicly present their point of view.

What is wrong with this sort of process in a free society? The contrast could not be more stark between this and the clandestine and blatantly unfair procedures associated with control orders and preventive detention orders — where still, after all the promises about a review on the merits, the bill entitles the subject of the order to get a "summary" of the prosecution grounds but does not entitle them to see the prosecution evidence.
……….In the absence of a strong case for saying that the powers exercised this week are defective, proposals for preventive detention, control orders and sedition offences are too vague, lack proper procedural protections and are open to abuse.”

Thus our democracy is threatened.

If you find this too hard to understand, please let me know and I will provide a simple translation of this extract.

Cheers

hey everyone. i think this site has lots of excellent opinion (if such a thing exists) and potential. and for now, i'd just like to add a recommendation to another forum. the other forum is http://www.resist.com.au/forum/
cheers all!