Pixelated Semantics

A schizotypical inventory

A law too far

The ABC's Lateline last night surveyed 25 of Australia's leading security analysts and discovered most of them believe proposed anti-terrorism laws 'go too far'. Very significantly, some of the strongest opposition is from one of Australia's earliest counter-terrorist soldiers, Brigadier Malcolm MacKenzie, who established the first SAS CT Assault Team in Australia. He's reported as saying:

'I think they're grossly over the top. Australia has a very, very small, low terrorist threat... We've had virtually no terrorist activity in Australia. The little bit there has been has been outsiders getting involved. And in my experience in Northern Ireland where we had similar laws, they didn't work anyway.'

There is clear consensus emerging that the laws are inconsistent with the rights of freedom of expression, including protests from within the Government's own agencies; Man of Steel has dramatically oversold the laws and the threats they are supposedly designed to counter, to the detriment of the people they are supposedly 'protecting'.

Overall, there's been a great deal of dissent from these proposed laws this week, far outweighing any potential support. Yet today Howard's main conversation with the media has been on daylight saving; terrorism, like the PM's battered credibility, seems to have stepped back from the spotlight. Meanwhile, a slew of CEO's and the IMF have put forward their support for the IR laws, which also lack public support; the greatest enthusiasm seems to come from those who have the most to gain and the least to lose from the 'reforms', but it's probably not enough to restore the government's credibility.

Note: Concerns are mounting that anti-war protests will be criminalised, especially with the removal of the 'intent' provisions of the sedition laws in the latest draft (which has been kept secret from the public that it will drastically affect - secret laws, detention without charge, secret trials; not exactly the definition of proper governance of a free and democratic society.) One Labor MP has without irony stated that the laws 'would allow state agencies to terrorise citizens', and even jibed that the government's whole approach is 'a matter of terrorising the citizens'. The SMH reports that the 'planned legislative blitz is unravelling', as is the country's compliance with an international civil rights accord.

Item posted by AutoEditor at 9:26 am ::