WAR: Australian Confidential Anti-Terror Draft Legislation Leaked

The ACT chief minister, Jon Stanhope has published the confidential draft legislation of Australia's new anti-terror laws on his website, this weekend (Saturday, October 15, 2005). The laws proposed include the detention of a person not suspected of engaging in terrorist activities, to punishing a person for their membership of a group rather than what they have done. Police will be able to issue "control orders", limiting movement, communication and possibly, involving electronic surveillance. The release of the document has caused some consternation among the ruling Liberal Party. The government's statement on the matter so far is one of "disapointment".



This should be interesting, hopefully this will raise the level of debate on the subject here. Groups such as The Law Institute of Australia are saying the government has acted with 'indecent haste' in attempting to push these laws through.
For example, when the bill's are set to go before parliament in about two weeks, the senate enquiry has one day to consider the content. One day? I'm gonna need a day just to read the thing. From a brief overview of the legislation, the sunset clause doesn't kick in for ten years. This should be examined, and pronto. As I said, it goes to Parliament in two weeks. Further reading and the minister's website below.

Related News Links:
www.abc.net.au
www.chiefminister.act.gov.au
www.abc.net.au
www.japantoday.com

Top judge fears anti-terrorism laws threaten human rights

The Document In Question:
pdf Download

Related ATS Links
Australia Introduces Tough New Counter-Terrorism Laws
Accompanying laws referenced in the legislation (thanks Jeremiah 25)

[edit on 15-10-2005 by fingapointa]

[edit on 15-10-2005 by fingapointa]

Shouldnt, in a democracy, at least the laws be allowed to be veiwed by the public?

i would have thought it would be a good idea for every one to be able to see a new law,

they are going to have to see it some time, or else how are you going to know when you break it?

Ha....not with Jack Boots Johnny in charge.... No sireee... Little Johnny Howards got a mandate to do anything he damned well pleases...and he does...

and meanwhile everyone sits back and grins about it... Hopefully this will raise debate but I fear little Jack Boots will march his legislation on through no matter what the people think....

After all we are sheep, here to be shorn..we can't think or certainly decide our own future......

Oh great I leave Britain's control orders and draconian anti-terror laws for this country, a country that is poised to copy them word for word. Lil' Johnny isnt even creative enough to create his own methods for installing himself as Australia's first dictator.

Secret legislation says it all, they didnt want Australians to see this legislation. Why on Earth would they think that way? Oh yes, thats right! They are stripping our rights away and they know there is no good reason for it.

[edit on 15/10/05 by subz]

I was wondering when what they were diverting the public's attention from would come to light. We have been bombarded with overdone add campaigns regarding changes in labour laws for the past month as though it's election time.. they deliberatly presented it as more threatening than it actually is [they'd get passed anyway] to scare the crap out of people.. there seemed to be no purpose to it till now.

I think the technical term is 'sucker punched'.

[edit on 15-10-2005 by riley]

kudos to Jon Stanhope for doing this! So, I'm curious as to whether any of our Australian members have read the draft and what you think of the contents? Is it scary stuff? Or practical stuff?

I have read it as much as I can in 2 hours , the act is about 107 pages long.

and it's damn plain scary stuff . Shoot to kill provisions are a new thing.

[edit on 15-10-2005 by mulberryblueshimmer]

So, I'm curious as to whether any of our Australian members have read the draft and what you think of the contents? Is it scary stuff? Or practical stuff?

I'm in the process of scouring through it now. Hope to have a summary up tonight (Melbourne time).

GREAT find.

...Sounds like another Patriot Act knock-off.

I have read some of it...enough to make steam come out of my ears in the first paragraph.

Jack Boots is just turning this country into a dictatorship.

I hated the part where if someones arrested under the terror laws, they are not allowed to tell anyone and neither is their family. So the family cannot approach the media to get assistance and public recognition of their issue for fear of five years jail.

These laws are harsher than American and UK laws.


This has got to be stopped before its implemented...

Australia...the land of slave labour and Iron Fist Rule......

[edit on 15-10-2005 by Mayet]

How are people going with their research? I'm still wading through legalese, but thought I'd pass on a portion of an email I just received from a friend:

... it's nice to know that somebody actually gives a bleep about the secret agendas of of democratic government. The responses from people restore my faith that there are many people that understand that interest rates and petrol prices are not the most important political issues of our time
...Obviously, in light of the events in Bali the govt will be keen to detain anybody with links to JI. It is really strange that our govt keeps insisting that JI are the source of anti Western terror when Indonesian's in the know(including members of parliament) claim that it is the Indonesian security forces that are involved and that potentially they recruit inbred psycho's with tenuous links to JI to do their dirty work. The role of the Indonesian military in promoting terror campaigns in East Timor, West Papua etc is well documented. There was a great interview with the past Indo President the other night in which he asserted that there is no doubt in his mind that elements of the Indo defence force have involvement in "terror" attacks against westerners. I expect our p**s weak govt to hide the facts but why is our media so shy to investigate the real motivation for attacks on Aussies? From my understanding, once these new laws are passed you could be detained simply for questioning the Aust govts stance, to criticise the laws themselves could be considered very very naughty.
I have downloaded the legeslation for consideration which I will get around to once I am physically able. I have sort of wrecked myself big time after ****'s bucks night and it is a bit hard to spend more than a few minutes at my computer.
Anyway, well done mate, it is great you are learning to use your talents for good rather than evil. Although I hope you understand that once these laws are passed you will be deemed evil by the Intelligence community and will have to go underground and live like a contientous objector in The late 60's. Oh hang on, it is the late sixties, or maybe the 50's. I just love our tolerant democratic society.

Happy wading

Originally posted by fingapointa
How are people going with their research?

I posted a precursory analysis here:

www.abovetopsecret.com...