Pixelated Semantics

Sedition and dissent

The Australian Government's Anti-Terrorism Bill 2005 has been circulating in recent days. It should be noted, from a preliminary reading, that under Schedule 7, Sedition, the section '80.3 Defence for acts done in good faith' seems to specifically exempt (by omission) Government ministers from the 'criticism in good faith' defence.

The Act would also seem to exempt the Government from criticism, as it defines 'seditious intention' as 'an intention to effect any of the [15] following purposes', including '17 (b) to urge disaffection against the following: [...] 19 (ii) the Government of the Commonwealth;'. Disaffection is an extremely ambiguous term under the circumstances, and a narrow application would likely cover a full gambit of dissent. To 'urge disaffection' is surely part of the normal electoral process: does this Act amount to a suspension of democracy and civil rights? It comes very close...

Item posted by AutoEditor at 9:18 am ::