http://www.crikey.com.au/2008/11/13/we-need-an-independent-review-of-anti-terror-laws/ now with extra source Sun, 12 Feb 2012 02:48:10 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 http://www.crikey.com.au/2008/11/13/we-need-an-independent-review-of-anti-terror-laws/#comment-21209 James O'Neill Thu, 01 Jan 1970 10:00:00 +0000 #comment-21209 There are some serious questions that need to be addressed by the Senate Committee and by the public. How is it for example that some of the most draconian legislation in any western democracy was passed with the acquiesence of spineless state governments and then then Federal opposition?<br />Another question is whether Australians might be better served by a Bill of Rights that would at least provide some benchmark against which some of our seriously deficient laws might be challenged.<br />A third question, although one that one doubts that the Senate will have the courage to pursue, is the whole rationale for the legislation in the first place. The whole so-called "war on terror" is so conceptually flawed and based upon a whole series of factually misplaced premises that it is frankly difficult to sustain any kind of argument for retaining this obnoxious legislation. There are some serious questions that need to be addressed by the Senate Committee and by the public. How is it for example that some of the most draconian legislation in any western democracy was passed with the acquiesence of spineless state governments and then then Federal opposition?
Another question is whether Australians might be better served by a Bill of Rights that would at least provide some benchmark against which some of our seriously deficient laws might be challenged.
A third question, although one that one doubts that the Senate will have the courage to pursue, is the whole rationale for the legislation in the first place. The whole so-called “war on terror” is so conceptually flawed and based upon a whole series of factually misplaced premises that it is frankly difficult to sustain any kind of argument for retaining this obnoxious legislation.

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