It now seems the Brennan committee report will not recommend an Australian bill of rights. How did such a good idea get bogged down in the fallacy that judges would abuse their power? asks Richard Ackland.
Robert McClelland
Justice in the balance … bank balance, that is
Despite decades of lip service from governments and the legal community, the price of justice is still prohibitively expensive for most Australians.
National Security Legislation: worst discussion paper ever.
The National Security Legislation Discussion Paper was released last week. And it may be one of the worst discussion papers ever, with no structure, barebones commentary and lots of blank pages.
Political snippets: The mystery of brussel sprouts solved
Richard Farmer explores why some people hate brussel sprouts, AG Robert McClelland’s proposed security laws and the fight against free speech at Yale University Press.
Guy Rundle: McClelland’s new terror bill is soft totalitarian nonsense
Robert McClelland’s new terror bill is based on the notion that people are simply psychological crash-test dummies, rather than robust and resilient citizens in a free society.
The terror raid leak was serious. We must find the source
Thanks to the leaking of the terror raids in Melbourne by The Oz
Targeting the terrorist teachers
As part of its terrorism law review, the Rudd government wants to include the offence of inciting violence on the basis of race, religion or nationality, focusing in particular on those who encourage others.
New dirty words: war on terror
Nearly eight years on from the 9/11 attacks, the Federal Government is launching a review of the official language used to discuss terrorism, and terms like ‘jihadist’ are within their sights.
Journalist shield laws do not go far enough
Robert McClelland’s proposed shield laws for journalists will leave all the discretion to judges. Not good enough, writes Christopher Warren.
Portrait of a paranoid: An insider’s account of the Latham years
As chief of staff to Mark Latham, Mike Richards had a front row seat from which to observe the Labor leader’s behavior first hand. Here, in full for the first time, he paints a portrait of a narcissistic and self destructive loner.
Political snippets: The Attorney General’s break with tradition
The Turnbull mistake … Talking down the rates … John Faulkner practices what he preaches
Terrorism and politics in Australia: an absurd farce
Meantime, Greg Sheridan, who has only recently been surgically removed from Alexander Downer, weighed in today to laud our success in the War Against Stuff, writes Bernard Keane.
Right to privacy sends media into a spin
The Australian Law Reform Commission has thrown down the gauntlet to two of Australia’s most powerful entities in its report on privacy, launched by John Faulkner and Robert McClelland in Sydney this morning, writes Bernard Keane.
Faris v Barns: Neal, the AFP and the night of the Iguanas
Peter Faris and Greg Barns discuss the legal implications of police investigations into Belinda Neal’s Iguana behaviour — and an unreliable witness.
ACT gay registration: keeping queers out of the pound
Robert McClelland’s done good … yesterday he managed to force the ACT Government into backing down on its civil union bill, writes Bernard Keane.
Logies: keeping abreast of gravity
The Logies are like p-rn, writes Simon Hughes. Between the anticipation and the reality falls a shadow – it’s the same old t-ts and a-se.
Same-s-x wedgers might end up wedging themselves
Perhaps we lauded Robert McClelland’s wedging capabilities prematurely, writes Bernard Keane.
McClelland can’t duck the gay marriage issue
Does today’s timetable for removing legal discrimination against same-sex de facto couples, leave the gay rights glass half full or half empty? asks Rodney Croome.
ALP gives same-s-x couples some love
Robert McClelland’s announced reforms are long overdue, writes Bernard Keane.
New Attorney-General just like the old one
While Kevin Rudd is big on saying sorry, it appears neither his Attorney-General Robert McClelland nor the Australian Federal Police Commissioner Mick Keelty is, writes Greg Barns.
Rudd takes the cowardly way out on Hicks control order
Some of us have long predicted that when it comes to using anti-terrorism laws for political purposes, the Rudd government would be no better than the Howard government. It’s early days but it looks as though that is the case, writes Greg Barns.
What do Bali and Samuel Beckett have in common?
Rudd’s hesitation undermines Australia’s commitment to the Bali negotiations, writes Greens Senator Christine Milne.
That was the week that was…
The week in one liners:
Kevin Rudd committed his government to transparency, while the Liberal party boasted they had beaten him to the punch by electing a leader everyone could see through…
President Bush continued to insist that Iran remains a nuclear threat in the face of intelligence reports to the contrary, pointing out that the CIA […]
Rudd’s same-s-x relationships dilemma
Let’s hope there’s a dictionary on hand tomorrow when ACT A-G, Simon Corbell, meets his new federal counterpart, Robert McClelland, to discuss civil unions for same-s-x couples, writes Rodney Croome.
