Hon Greg Hunt MP
Federal Member for Flinders
P.O. Box 274
Hastings 3915
September 19, 2005
Dear Greg,
Proposed legislation package anti-terror laws.
I am writing to make clear my objection to the policies of the Howard government in legislation purportedly aimed at terrorism. I say purportedly aimed, because the specific measures proposed make substantive inroads against fundamental democratic rights and do nothing to combat terrorism.
The provisions being drafted go much further than simply raising the bar to counter potential terrorism. The rights that are directly affected include freedoms of speech, association and movement, and the right not to be detained without trial. In my estimation the proposed changes further propel Australia towards a police state. To wit the recent expulsion of American antiwar activist Scott Parkin, an individual that could hardly be described as radical given his commitment to non-violent action.
The specific provisions that I consider absolutely objectionable and potentially totalitarian measures are:
Control orders: Granting the Australian Federal Police 12 month control orders to impose tracking devices, travel bans and other restrictions because a security agency accuses someone of being a “terrorist risks.”
These conditions are nothing short of draconian impositions - proposed through secret court hearings, a provision reminiscent of an eastern bloc police state.
Preventative Detention: This grants ASIO the power to secretly lock people away for 48 hours. Essentially this is nothing less that detention without trial.
The particular detestable nature of this legislation is that it goes beyond ASIO’s already unprecedented detention powers and extends detention because of what a suspect may intend to do in the future. An offense need not be committed, nor need a “suspect” even be alleged to have “information” relevant to terrorism to be detained under this power.
In addition, I understand Prime Minister Howard will ask premiers at the September 27th “counter-terrorism summit” to introduce state laws providing for even longer periods of detention, similar to the 14 days recently introduced by the Labour government in Britain. A danger of further increase to the preventative detention period later is manifestly possible. In the U.K. changes to the detention period are already proposed to 3 months from 14 days. A future push to match Australia’s detention period with Britain seems a justified suspicion if such laws were passed in this country.
Advocating terrorism - proposal to grant unilateral powers to ban organisations without a court hearing to include groups that “advocate” terrorism.
The Criminal Code definition of terrorism is sweeping enough to include traditional forms of political dissent and demonstrations where property damage or injury might occur; this law could be misused in circumstances where fundamental democratic rights could be seen as targeted.
“Notice to Produce” powers - proposal to give power to Australian Federal Police to stop, question and search people on the street, seize documents and obtain airline passenger information.
This is an obvious quasi police state power. These powers could severely affect free speech, be used to compel journalists to hand over notes and influence media scrutiny.
Sedition offences: Extending existing sedition offences to make it a crime to write or speak in a way that supports Australia’s “enemies,” or promotes ill-will or hostility toward any group in the community.
The danger in extending the sedition laws is possible misapplication against individuals whose views might be construed as encouraging attacks on Australian troops. Such a potential is highlighted when Prime Minister Howard refused to rule out the possibility that journalists could be prosecuted for exposing Australian conduct abroad, if their reporting caused reprisals against Australians.
It is inaccurate for Prime Minister Howard to say these additional powers are needed to fight terrorism – as every conceivable terrorist offence, from murder to kidnapping, from arson to supporting, financing or planning such conduct is already a serious crime.
I am opposed to this vast expansion of the government’s powers as no evidence to justify the latest measures exists. Rather than protecting Australian society these laws are a potential nightmare.
Yours sincerely,
John Stoker
16 Sept 2005
Scott Parkin - Prime Victim of Haddock & Miss Piggy
The feeble-mindedness of the Australian Government is handsomely shown in their pig headed deportation of PEACE ACTIVIST, American Scott Parkin. The guy is a freaking PEACE ACTIVIST… can you believe it… pissed off out of the country by the ASIO string pullers cuz he likes peace. I know, go figure that one?
Our hopeless apology for national protector of justice, Mr smelly joke for an Attorney-General Philip Ruddock, rhymes with haddock, which is about right when you review the depths of fishy crapola he swims around in. Anyway Philip Ruddock… and chubby cheeks Miss Piggy Immigration Minister Amanda Vanstone can’t keep her ass out of the shit, is the public face behind the deportation of PEACE ACTIVIST Parkin.
When you see this country’s defenders of Australia's most of us are friendly crowd - deport a peace activist, its time to ask a very cogent query of yourself, “What in hell has happened to our cosy corner of planet Earth when this Orwellian boner rotates front page?”
Has some mental retardent pathogen infiltrated the reptilean brain of our government to make them behave in this assinine way? Why would you want to shove off someone like this peace guy - with nothing but preservation of life and limb, and doing things with lucidity in the name of representative government? Like highlighting the profiteering of American corporate war junkie HALIBURTON… who just by accident happens to be one of the biggest direct beneficiaries from the invasion and plunder of Iraq. And pretty close personal pals of US Vice-President war monger Dick Cheney.
Not to mention Halliburton’s Australian subsidiaries winning more than 150 military contracts from the stinking “Howard we’re shady but won’t answer no one government.” In one stinking single year Halliburton made out like bandits from Australian taxpayers trough. In addition it milked, oops… secured a very tidy $58 million worth of projects from the oversea’s aid program Aus AID. What is that thick cloud in the air, a touch of nepotism, cronyism, or old-fashioned plundering of the public purse strings maybe?
Either way you cut and dice this forming scab on the Australian psyche… Something stinks with this crowd in Canberra when a peace activist, who happens to finger point out a bit of dirty laundry with Halliburton is shuffled across the departure tarmac - just as soon as the ASIO’s centipede could scribble “adverse assessment”on Parkins.
I think this little watershed will accelerate a growing clash with this not worth a crap Howard government. Australia isn’t duped by Parkin’s deportation. A lowly grade six education will get you through to see that dirty laundry has a lid on it. The lids coming off though and I’ll be a happy chappy when the whole damned crapola blows Howard right out of Canberra. Together with Philip Haddock and Miss Piggy Vanstone.
Our hopeless apology for national protector of justice, Mr smelly joke for an Attorney-General Philip Ruddock, rhymes with haddock, which is about right when you review the depths of fishy crapola he swims around in. Anyway Philip Ruddock… and chubby cheeks Miss Piggy Immigration Minister Amanda Vanstone can’t keep her ass out of the shit, is the public face behind the deportation of PEACE ACTIVIST Parkin.
When you see this country’s defenders of Australia's most of us are friendly crowd - deport a peace activist, its time to ask a very cogent query of yourself, “What in hell has happened to our cosy corner of planet Earth when this Orwellian boner rotates front page?”
Has some mental retardent pathogen infiltrated the reptilean brain of our government to make them behave in this assinine way? Why would you want to shove off someone like this peace guy - with nothing but preservation of life and limb, and doing things with lucidity in the name of representative government? Like highlighting the profiteering of American corporate war junkie HALIBURTON… who just by accident happens to be one of the biggest direct beneficiaries from the invasion and plunder of Iraq. And pretty close personal pals of US Vice-President war monger Dick Cheney.
Not to mention Halliburton’s Australian subsidiaries winning more than 150 military contracts from the stinking “Howard we’re shady but won’t answer no one government.” In one stinking single year Halliburton made out like bandits from Australian taxpayers trough. In addition it milked, oops… secured a very tidy $58 million worth of projects from the oversea’s aid program Aus AID. What is that thick cloud in the air, a touch of nepotism, cronyism, or old-fashioned plundering of the public purse strings maybe?
Either way you cut and dice this forming scab on the Australian psyche… Something stinks with this crowd in Canberra when a peace activist, who happens to finger point out a bit of dirty laundry with Halliburton is shuffled across the departure tarmac - just as soon as the ASIO’s centipede could scribble “adverse assessment”on Parkins.
I think this little watershed will accelerate a growing clash with this not worth a crap Howard government. Australia isn’t duped by Parkin’s deportation. A lowly grade six education will get you through to see that dirty laundry has a lid on it. The lids coming off though and I’ll be a happy chappy when the whole damned crapola blows Howard right out of Canberra. Together with Philip Haddock and Miss Piggy Vanstone.
2 Sept 2005
Australian Gift to USA for New Orleans - This Is What I Think!
Of all the miscalculated deeds Australia’s officials have rendered – our nation’s open-handedness through the Red Cross of US$10 million for the New Orleans hurricane disaster will rate materially as nepotism. The people in New Orleans need vital and immediate help – certainly that is apparent.
There exists an immense aberration that the American government which expends billions of dollars bombing the living hell out of Afghanis, Iraqis and numerous conflagerations since the Korean War - to many to specify. In bombing and killing thousands, maiming tens of thousands of innocent people as “collatoral damage” in its prevailing War on Terrorism, since renamed War on Extremism. That The US should earn the apperception of Canberra to gain compensation for distress within its shores, whilst it enforces international insecurity and domestic distress at the expense of the American taxpayers and citizen.
The USA is the biggest weapons tribe, the biggest exporter of weapons, the largest biological weapons developer, the biggest domestic spender in regulating and discipline its populace. Behind the Orwellian Homeland Defence Department an even more draconian security and surveilance network evolves targeted against ordinary citizens – all at a price of billions.
The Bush administration does not acknowledge its tragedy in slashing funding for disaster relief. Since 2001 the White House has shown to foment nothing less than total unpreparedness of national disasters at home. Whilst the theft of America’s treasury squandered on weaponry and sustaining its global military presence endure. It’s a betrayal of the responsibility for the nation at home replaced by preemptive warfare in Afghanistan and Iraq and whatever ‘threat’ is next in the White House cross hair?
Nothing short of capricious delinquency by the American Government led to the catastrophic outcome of human loss and physical destruction in New Orleans. Not Hurricane Katrina itself clearly - but ignorance away from disaster preparation and virtual neglicence of physical assets and human resources to mitigate disaster. All sacrificed by the Bush White House who turned its back on America in assiduity of pretense to uphold a failing international paper eagle. A deriliction of duty of the ultimate order has occured - commensurate to High Crime committed by George W. Bush as President of the United States of America. Today the Bush administration is defined as a stark profile against the white backdrop of the catastrophe of New Orleans. What superficial dysfunctional pretext of an executive branch the Bush administration sorrowfully represents. The President and Congess is appointed to maintain, uphold and protect the nations stock of infrastructure and capabilities, which includes its human beings, American citizens. As superintendant of the nation the Bush administration has failed in its responsibilities. It has instead plundered the treasury at home to perpetrate warfare and military operations abroad, on a scale not seen since possibly the Vietnam War.
I am appalled at the gross judgment of the Australian Government to support however discursively the effort of the current USA administration in a gift of US $10 million of Australian Taxpayer money to the Red Cross. The United States government in the absence of reform of its own house fails to merit Australian gifts.
There exists an immense aberration that the American government which expends billions of dollars bombing the living hell out of Afghanis, Iraqis and numerous conflagerations since the Korean War - to many to specify. In bombing and killing thousands, maiming tens of thousands of innocent people as “collatoral damage” in its prevailing War on Terrorism, since renamed War on Extremism. That The US should earn the apperception of Canberra to gain compensation for distress within its shores, whilst it enforces international insecurity and domestic distress at the expense of the American taxpayers and citizen.
The USA is the biggest weapons tribe, the biggest exporter of weapons, the largest biological weapons developer, the biggest domestic spender in regulating and discipline its populace. Behind the Orwellian Homeland Defence Department an even more draconian security and surveilance network evolves targeted against ordinary citizens – all at a price of billions.
The Bush administration does not acknowledge its tragedy in slashing funding for disaster relief. Since 2001 the White House has shown to foment nothing less than total unpreparedness of national disasters at home. Whilst the theft of America’s treasury squandered on weaponry and sustaining its global military presence endure. It’s a betrayal of the responsibility for the nation at home replaced by preemptive warfare in Afghanistan and Iraq and whatever ‘threat’ is next in the White House cross hair?
Nothing short of capricious delinquency by the American Government led to the catastrophic outcome of human loss and physical destruction in New Orleans. Not Hurricane Katrina itself clearly - but ignorance away from disaster preparation and virtual neglicence of physical assets and human resources to mitigate disaster. All sacrificed by the Bush White House who turned its back on America in assiduity of pretense to uphold a failing international paper eagle. A deriliction of duty of the ultimate order has occured - commensurate to High Crime committed by George W. Bush as President of the United States of America. Today the Bush administration is defined as a stark profile against the white backdrop of the catastrophe of New Orleans. What superficial dysfunctional pretext of an executive branch the Bush administration sorrowfully represents. The President and Congess is appointed to maintain, uphold and protect the nations stock of infrastructure and capabilities, which includes its human beings, American citizens. As superintendant of the nation the Bush administration has failed in its responsibilities. It has instead plundered the treasury at home to perpetrate warfare and military operations abroad, on a scale not seen since possibly the Vietnam War.
I am appalled at the gross judgment of the Australian Government to support however discursively the effort of the current USA administration in a gift of US $10 million of Australian Taxpayer money to the Red Cross. The United States government in the absence of reform of its own house fails to merit Australian gifts.
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