Hi everyone, Enclosed is a short briefing regarding an important issue- the proposed raft of new legislation to crush civil liberties under the guise of 'anti-terrorism'. There is also a meeting about this issue in Melbourne (NOT the SKATV fundraiser I posted to Melb comrades earlier) advertised below. This is an issue that will affect all campaigns and progressive movements, and it is therefore essential that we do everything possible to oppose the bill.
Thanks, Matt Skellern From Jacob Gretch: The Howard Government is proposing to put new legislation through parliament when it resumes next month. Under the guise of 'anti-terrorism' the new bill aims to: * give ASIO the right to arrest and detain people for questioning for up to 48 hours without any legal representation * remove the right to silence while being questioned * give the government greater rights to seize assets of organisations * reduce rights to privacy * restrict the right to assemble and organise * create new offences dealing with terrorism * increase police powers of surveillance While there is much concern in the community about the perceived threat of terrorism in Australia and many unsubstantiated claims made about terrorist plots, it must be remembered that acts of terrorism in Australia are already illegal. It is already illegal in Australia to murder, maim, torture or coerce people - and so it should be - and appropriately severe penalties already exist for these crimes. As globalisation strips Governments of traditional roles of policy and legislation, one of the few roles left for national governments is military and social control and this government, following in the steps of its mentors in the US and UK have taken to both with gusto. John Howard is following in the footsteps of his hero Robert Menzies by resurrecting the 'red menace' scare of his idyllic 1950's as anti-terrorist hysteria. These laws aim to increase social control by delegitamising the role of activist and pressure groups by equating them with terrorism and painting them as variously unAustralian and something less than human. These proposed new laws come from the same mindset that considers it reasonable to keep families and children in a concentration camp in the desert for years on the suspicion that their claims are fabricated and then accuse them of blackmail (terrorism?) when in despair they mutilate their own bodies and subject their own children to humiliation in an attempt to gain media exposure to their plight. The successful passage of this bill would lead in time to ordinary Australians being too intimidated to speak out on issues which concern them. The implications for unionists, environmentalists, social justice and solidarity activists are immense: would the MUA pickets have been deemed 'terrorist' if these laws had been in existence four years ago? what about the Franklin River? the WEF? or AIDEX? What about supporting activists and organisations internationally recognised as terrorist, which in the past have included Nelson Mandela and the ANC, Xanana Gusmao and Fretelin? Under these new laws it could be deemed an offence to support the legitimate struggle of the Palestinian, Burmese, Bougainvillian or West Papuan people or wherever the next Timor uprising occurs. Whatever we feel personally about radical forms of protest such as blockading the WEF, (and I for one disagreed strongly and publicly with some of the tactics of the so-called 'black bloc') it would be easy for the government to paint such actions and activists as 'terrorist' when clearly, they are not. If you are someone who has ever taken a stand on any issue; and the fact that I have your email address from some list or other indicates that you probably are, I urge you to make yourself heard on this one. If not, you may not have the opportunity so easily again. What you can do: for more info so that you are fully briefed on the issue, come to the public briefing: 6.30 PM - 8.00PM, Thursday, January 31, 2002 (tomorrow) Catholic Commission for Justice and Peace Lansdowne and Cathedral Rooms 383 Albert St (cnr Lansdowne St) East Melbourne I realise that it is short notice but if you can't come (or you are not in Melbourne), email me back or contact your union, church, student group, etc for more information. Email ALP politicians: they need to know that they are being watched on this one: after so much lobbying they seem to be changing their minds on concentration camps: every email helps. To make it easier for you here are their addresses: it'll only take you fifteen minutes and seeing as how you're already online it won't even cost you a cent. Opposition Leader Simon Crean: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Deputy Opposition Leader Jenny Macklin: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Leader of the Opposition in the Senate and Shadow Minister for Public Administration and Home Affairs Senator John Faulkner [EMAIL PROTECTED] Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the Senate Senator Stephen Conroy [EMAIL PROTECTED] Shadow Attorney General Robert McClelland [EMAIL PROTECTED] The ALP's website feedback form http://www.alp.org.au/action/feedback.html Thanks for your time. Jacob Grech -- -- Leftlink - Australia's Broad Left Mailing List mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Archived at http://www.cat.org.au/lists/leftlink/ Sponsored by Melbourne's New International Bookshop Subscribe: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]?Body=subscribe%20leftlink Unsubscribe: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]?Body=unsubscribe%20leftlink This email message and any accompanying attachments may contain confidential information. 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