Australian Greens push for review of anti-terrorism laws

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Greens move to dump extreme Anti-Terrorism laws

Media Release | Spokesperson Scott Ludlam

Tuesday 23rd June 2009, 11:41am

in

• Human Rights & Justice
• Access to Justice
• Right to Silence

Greens Senator Scott Ludlam will move to repeal the most extreme aspects of Australia‘s anti-terrorism laws, when he introduces a Private Senators Bill today.

“Australia’s Anti-Terrorism laws were rammed through Parliament in haste, by former Prime Minister John Howard. As a result mistakes were made – some aspects of the laws are extreme and undermine the human rights of all Australians,” said the Greens’ Attorneys General Spokesperson, Senator Scott Ludlam.

“Definitions within Australia’s anti-terrorism laws are so vague we all have cause for alarm and innocents can be caught in the cross-fire. For instance, you can be convicted for “recklessly possessing a thing” whatever that may be, or expressing political dissent. You can be questioned and detained for prolonged periods without charge and your right to a lawyer is compromised by complicated security clearances. My Anti-Terrorism Laws Reform Bill 2009 will repeal these anti-democratic measures.”

“My Bill provides Prime Minister Kevin Rudd with a historic opportunity to break with the past and follow US President Barrack Obama’s lead in rejecting what he calls ‘the false choice between our democratic values and our security.’ Mr Rudd should follow President Obama‘s lead in showing we don’t need to trash democratic principles, in order to save them.”

The Government will announce an independent review of the anti-terrorism laws later this week, but Senator Ludlam says there are some aspects of the laws that should be repealed straight away:

“We don’t need an independent reviewer to tell us that some of our anti-terrorism laws are anti-democratic and need to be repealed. In this Bill, the Greens have identified laws that are so out of step with Australia’s democratic principles that they should be repealed at once. There’s no need to waste the Reviewer’s time on measurers that we know have no place in a democracy,” said Senator Ludlam.

Attachment	Date	Size
Anti-Terrorism Laws Bill.doc	23/06/09 10:28 am	82 KB
Anti-Terrorism Laws EM.doc	23/06/09 10:28 am	55 KB
Anti-Terrorism Laws Second Reading Speech.doc	23/06/09 10:28 am	89 KB

ABC news coverage Greens push for review of anti-terrorism laws

Tuesday, June 23, 2009

Greens Senator Scott Ludlam is pushing for a change to Australia’s anti-terrorism legislation introduced by the Howard government.

To view on a PC/Mac please use this link

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/06/23/2605979.htm

To view on a mobile please use this link

http://m.abc.net.au/browse?page=11144&articleid=2605979&cat=Justin
from @perthtones’ iPhone

President Barack Obama blogs too! And America please remember he didn’t promise “he” can, he said “we” can – so don’t leave it all up to him.

Shepard Fairey/Obey, Barack Obama campaign posters, 2008

THE BLOG:  TUE, JANUARY 27, 9:48 AM EST

President to Muslim World: “Americans are not your enemy”

“My job is to communicate to the American people that the Muslim world is filled with extraordinary people who simply want to live their lives and see their children live better lives,” President Obama told Al Arabiya, an Arabic-language news channel based out of Dubai. “My job to the Muslim world is to communicate that the Americans are not your enemy.”

Click here to go to the first EVER blog of a US President

Greens push for change over David Hicks’ muzzling post-Gitmo

Greens Senator Scott Ludlum has renewed calls for changes to our Jackboot Justice system, much as Human Rights Doyen Geoffrey Robertson QC did in his recent ABC Lateline  interview.

There is reason to pursue the Australian lawmakers from the discredited Howard regime who legitimized the US shame of “Gitmo” just as moves are underway in America to pursue the legal attack dogs who set up Guantanamo and sanctioned torture and “rendition”

The Human Rights Judge also pointed out that Australia’s lack of a Bill of Rights means this sort of travesty is possible in the future if another morally bereft PM feels so inclined. ( see link to his interview on lateline on this blog or just click “Geoffrey Robertson QC” in the tag cloud on the left )

Today Senator Ludlum released the statement pasted below;

Thursday, 20 November 2008
Hicks case shows need for anti-terrorism review

The public gagging of David Hicks should be ended and Howard’s heavy-handed anti-terrorism laws reviewed, according to Australian Greens Attorney General Spokesperson, Senator Scott Ludlam.

Former Guantanamo Bay detainee David Hicks today told members of online lobby group, Get Up that he is fearful a new control order will be imposed on him by the Australian Federal Police, and this will prevent him from being able to move forward in his life.

“Control orders are infringement of basic human rights and incompatible with Australia’s broader democratic culture,” Senator Ludlam said.

“Control orders are just one example of some of the draconian and extreme aspects of the anti-terrorism laws the Howard government rammed through the Senate after 2001 – and are yet to be reviewed by the Rudd Government.”

“The laws were passed without any safety net or mechanism for review. Unfortunately, David Hicks is feeling the consequences of that flawed process today. The Rudd government needs to support an independent review so that we can be assured that the rights and freedoms of Australians are not being eroded.”

Last week the Greens supported a Bill initiated by Liberal backbencher Petro Georgio to review the forty pieces of anti-terrorism legislation. The government voted against the measure.

Senator Ludlam has also questioned the legitimacy of David Hicks’ initial sentence.

“David Hicks was subject to an illegal and illegitimate military tribunal process on foreign soil. He was held for five years without charge, the principles of natural justice and rule of law were disregarded and the Geneva conventions were not complied with. The legitimacy of his conviction is therefore in doubt, even more so as the US President-elect Obama has indicated his intention to close Guantanamo Bay. David Hicks has a right to closure and should be allowed to move forward in his life.”

“The control order should not be extended and David Hicks should be afforded the same rights as any other Australia,” said Senator Ludlam.

For more information or media enquiries please call Robert Simms on 0417 174 302
senator.ludlam@aph.gov.au  |  http://www.scottludlam.org.au  |  http://www.greensmps.org.au

QC expects action on human rights from Barack Obama

Respected Human Rights lawyer Geoffrey Robertson QC  ( see story below on his visit to Perth for UN HR anniversary ) has told Australian ABC’s Lateline that he expects a change in the US approach to human rights when Barack OBAMA takes over as US President next January.

He has also predicted sanctions and possibly charges against US lawyers who advised the BUSH ( dubya that is ) regime on issues such as torture and the shameful goings on at Gitmo.

In a 15 minute interview with Tony Jones he also lamented the lack of a Bill of Rights in Australia and foreshadowed challenges to the US occupation of Mauritian territory known as Diego Garcia and the displacement of its Indigenous people.

The Rhodes Scholar and celebrated Silk also highlighted the stupidity we spoke of here recently of martyring people like Hambali and the other Bali Bombers.

see it in full here http://www.abc.net.au/lateline/content/2008/s2422192.htm

I wasn’t aware ’til tonight that the island of Diego Garcia was held back from the Independence granted to Mauritius by Britain and then given to the US to use as a strategic base during the cold war. The locals, who are a distinct race apparently now live mainly in poverty on other parts of the Indian Ocean Archipelago

It’s a shame that Geoffrey’s dinner speech in Perth is so expensive, but I figure that the top end of town could probably do with his wisdom and experience, and the big bucks will aid Amnesty’s ongoing battle against abuse.

I hope to speak to the good QC in the next day or so to bring you more

Barack Obama – just found this link to a collage of newspaper front pages

thanks to crikey.com.au for the following link

http://obama2008.s3.amazonaws.com/headlines.html?source=cmailer

it’s a massive collage of frontpage stories in the wake of the historic US. Presidential vote

the cynic in me is just waiting for the media to turn from adoring to damning – let’s hope the new President doesn’t get swamped by disillusioned folk who find out he CAN’T actually walk on water…but hang on – has anyone actually seen him NOT walk on water :*)