Paul1406 - "These new laws ...put Australia into the same league as the worse of histories totalitarian regimes."

Come on, you can't honestly think that. If you think you are living under the rule of a totalitarian government you really are in LaLa Land.

If you think our current living standards and freedoms were available in the citizens of 'worst totalitarian regimes in history' you don't have a clue what it would have been like living under Hitler, Stalin, Ceausescu, or if we really are considering 'in history' - Caligula, Gengas Khan, or Vlad the Impaler.

Maybe you would prefer to be living North Korea, if you think its so bad here.

Exaggerating to make a point is no different than telling lies.

CH,

Who legislates to jail professionals who expose child abuse?

(Yes, I know Labor supported it - just as bad)

Who else does that in the modern industrial democratic West?

Hi Poirot,

I'm a bit behind the times here when you claim that the government is jailing 'professionals who expose child abuse'. Can you cite some of those who have been jailed ?

Thank you,

Joe

Nice try, Joe.

My quote:

"Who legislates to jail professionals who expose child abuse?"

Are you denying that the govt has legislated thus?

Thank you.

Poirot, I'm not aware that Australia has legislated to jail professionals who expose child abuse. That's news to me.

But my question is, why did you direct that at me? Is that supposed to confirm Paul's stupid allegation we are living under a totalitarian regime?

Although I almost always disagree with your position, I've never considered you to be stupid. I am however getting sick of the exaggerated and un-verifiable claims that seem to keep popping up from those with an obsessed hatred for Tony Abbott.

Try to keep it real, instead of the hysterics.

ConservativeHoppie,

I did not say it made us the 'same as' I said it puts us in "the same league" there is a difference in meaning and you should comprehend that difference. These types of laws are systematic within a totalitarian regime and to introduce such laws into a democracy weakens that democracy ever so slightly. Like others in the past, who were comfortable and unaffected by the introduction of restrictive laws, and failed to speak out, eventually found themselves in La La Land and it looks like you want to join them.

Hip, from 1933 when Hitler came to power the living standard of the average German actually increased significantly, and the elite in German society lived very well indeed, so what do you know about history. They too didn't much care about changes to the laws, after all Tony was getting the place back into shape just the way they liked it.