Will the Senate be wearing blinkers next Tuesday and allow Draconian Law to romp home first past the post. I tried to place a bet but the bookies would not take it....

SHONGA “one gets the feeling of how it must have been in Stalinist Russia, or Hitler's Germany, with the two most radical laws in living memory to be passed in the near future”

Which concentration camp or Gulag do you expect to perish in?

Such statements make those who write them sound like hysterical schoolgirls.

Much the same for Christopher Michaelsen’s suggestion that

“In light of the latest Australian anti-terrorism Bill and the Government’s apparent contempt for the processes of democratic debate one cannot help but wonder how much longer Australia’s democracy has to live.”

Such statements are simply the infantile ramblings of a political opportunist and oppositionist.

Australia has risked far more through the actions of the likes of Gough Whitlam and Lance Barnard (the government of two) than it ever will from the Liberal Party and its Ministers.
Remember Gough - who brought us the incompetence of Jim Cairns (accompanied by Junie Morosi).

That is to say nothing of a political party which submits to this Country the most emotionally disfigured and incompetent example of a walking bipolar disorder there ever was as recently as the last election.

And you think we are under some sort of threat because the current government is doing what the vast majority of Australians expect of it – we found out only a few months ago what the public think!

Anyone who objects is free to stand for public office when the time comes and see how they do - but for the left, I guess that will be after they have finished licking the wounds they received from the savaging they received in the last election

Cui bono, cui bono, cui bono; I am thinking of cutting a stencil.

Has there been any legislation in the last several years that did not factor in a political advantage for the Dear Leader, or economic advantage for his allies?

If the answer is no, why therefore should this Terror Legislation be any different?

If the answer is yes, go ahead and educate me. Perhaps I am becoming too old and jaded.

Running a nit-comb over the bill, one is instantly struck by the vagueness of the most important definitions. Yet their consequences are so far-reaching and dangerous. Is this due to ignorance or by intent?

Since even the most ardent critic of the PM would not think him a fool, let's assume that everything about the bill, idiotic bits and all, are proposed with deadly intent. I am sure the PM would approve of that observation.

Now we must ask, "Why the rush? Why the hurry to silence dissent?"

1. We are losing the invasion. History will be written by the victors. The victors will name Howard, Blair and Bush as co-conspirators in war crimes.

2. Over in the Land Of The Free, Mr Bush has exceeded critical mass in the unpopularity polls. Fitzgerald has taken the lid off the Whitehouse worm farm and the Congress compost bin. Pooologists are examining the Pentagon night-soil. Last but not least, not only is the US Treasury plundered, but even the IOUs have been swiped. In short, we hitched our wagon to the wrong star, and without Bush's power, Howard and Blair will be left twisting in the wind.

The warmongers are now the most dangerous of creatures - wounded animals. Now watch them manouver in abberant ways as the escape hatch sloooowly swings shut.

* * *

NOBODY expects the Australian Inquisition!

Our chief weapon is surprise - surprise and fear -
fear and surprise -

Amongst our weapons. Amongst our weaponry -
are such elements as fear, surprise -

- I'll come in again.

Christopher, I too, like you fear for our democracy. And I don't think the pro-terrorism law posts here are representative of what clear thinking Australians feel about these laws. These punters hate anything that expresses even the slightest concern for our fellow human beings and civil society. Its what they do.

There may be some justification in having the laws debated more; but with emotive statements made by Christopher like this one, [quote] “This means that a simple statement such as “Iraqis have a right to resist occupation” may land people in jail for up to seven years.” Such indicates he is merely scare mongering and has not got his head around the application of the laws.

Are we at war with terrorists? Answer this question and then if so, we need war legislation to protect our citizens. When we have eradicated the threat then we can fully enjoy freedom

If democracy is so good shouldn't you people be supporting the imposition of it in Iraq? Celebrating it even?

Oh no, that would condone the actions of the evil Howard neo-con-bush-nazi-puppet.

I'm sure glad we do live in a democracy.