I'm not going to pretend to everything about this situation but don't these terrorism laws mean that anyone could be locked up at any time without even a decent excuse? Without having to tell anyone, without getting a phone call?
As far as I'm aware that includes me, you, your children, your mama.
So that means, on an extreme level, that John Howard could "detain" anyone that doesn't vote for him, anyone that people listen to -environmental activists, musicians, influential sports people, writers, provided that they don't agree on everything he says.
Does that mean that union officials are at risk too?
And all they need is to suspect you, so you could really just make up some crap about your ex-girlfriend and how you saw her with some fertilizer in the shed and a muslim friend and KABLAMMO she will be out of your life for good, or at least for enough time to know not to mess with you. Yeah! Sounds pretty sweet!
Next time my MRS whinges about the price of Tampons as a luxury she better watch out!

Yeehaa! I love being an American, I mean an Australian, (same thing anyway.)

"The sedition laws are designed to capture activity which goes beyond criticising, but encourages the use of force or violence or other unlawful means to achieve a particular outcome."

What about the use of 'lawful' means to achieve a particular outcome?
Excuse my naivety but if there is enough evidence against a certain group belief system that is potentially more destructive to a free democratic place like Australia than one or two explosive acts of violence would Phil apply the full force to ban or remove such group or is this new law reserved only for those who are accidentally caught in the act?

"The measures deal with those who seek to urge the naïve and impressionable to carry out violence against their fellow citizens."

So are we transferring some or all of the responsibility for these atrocious acts from the "naive and impressionable" "urgees" to these reprehensible "urgers"?

The blood on the walls will still be that of people who have nothing to do with terror, execpt to be its victims.
Australians for the most part want protection from idiots and murderers more than shadow boxing lost freedoms.

Dear Plantagenet

"Special religious courts" are about as useful as tits on a bull mate when it comes to enforcing morality.

I would prefer that our laws reflected the content of our communal hearts, and I find it curious that States would ban the 'sale' of XXX porn for 'no reason' ? The existence of such a law suggests they government is saying "Its not welcome" so why not go the whole hog and make 'posssion' illegal also ? its rather pointless. People usually 'possess, because they buy'

That said, the 'demand' end is where the focus should also be, on us, on our mindset, on our values. I know from experience that when one lives in a community where such a thing would be abhorrent, disgusting, and degrading, it doesn't surface. Not only that, one's mind is not constantly thinking in that directiion either.

The other problem I have with this type of 'industry' is that it will never be 'static'. I.e. todays porn rush is tomorrows 'yeah yeah, same old same old' and then...'where' do we/they go for the next rush ? Obviously they have to 'push the boundaries'....right ?

So this leads to... bestiality, satanism, degrading filth such as defacating and urinating on each other, eating it and all manner of supposedly tittilating portrayals of human and human/animal behavior, not to mention of course, the increasing levels of child porn.

So, when a community reaches that level it is pretty much 'finished' morally. When it condones or does not actively condemn such things, it is so poverty stricken as to be almost unredeemable.

No society has ever survived its on decadence.

The remedy is simple.

National repentance and humble confession of our grievous sin to almighty God. Forgiveness through Christ and renewed minds, hearts and wills.

As I've often quoted from the Old Testament II Chronicles 7.14

<<if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.>

I can't trust a politician who prefaces statements with "The fact of the matter is" as Phillip Ruddock did on ABC Radio when he was pursuing his vendetta against the Baktiari family.

Ruddock says that the laws are designed to control Muslims in Australia, yet at the same time the IR legislation is before parliament. The IR legislation seeks to control union activity with draconian fines for union officials participating in wage bargaining, employees can be fined for revealing the details of their AWA. All AWAs are held by the employer, not held centrally by the Fair Pay Commission or similar. It's not much of a stretch to see that union officials could be held under the sedition laws as could authors to this forum.

Where in the bible does it say that we have to accept unfair and unjust treatment? Or as my expensive church school education instilled in me - religion is a great method of controlling the population saying "life on earth may be hard but you will be rewarded in heaven/paradise"

If these laws are enacted then Australia will become a very dangerous place and we will all have to be aware, stand witness and always behave righteously because when this madness ends we will all be called to account here on earth