The Dictator's club
We've joined the dictators'
THE Federal Opposition said today Australia had joined the ranks of tyrannical states such as North Korea, Syria, and Cuba by strengthening its free speech laws.
Labor leader Kim Beazley said the Howard Government seemed "hell bent" on enforcing the sedition aspects of its new anti-terror laws.
The Government says the laws are to enable authorities to tackle extremists who urge violence against Australians and Attorney-General Philip Ruddock again defended the sedition plans, saying they would not act as curbs on free speech. (Full story)
Under the sedition measure in the Anti-Terrorism Bill, anyone convicted of urging a group to use force or violence against another group could be jailed for up to seven years.
"I do not know why the Government insists that we should lower ourselves to the standard of North Korea, Syria and Cuba," Mr Beazley said.
"I don't think that's necessary but they seem to be hell bent on this." Former Midnight Oil frontman and Labor MP Peter Garrett said the sedition laws meant the Government was now "at war" with Australia's satirical cartoonists and writers.
Media organisations, a government-led Senate committee, civil libertarians and other lobbyists had all called on the Government to drop the sedition provisions in the bill, concerned that future governments might use the laws to silence anti-government commentary in the media.
Some amendments were made to the laws last night and the laws are now expected to be in force in a matter of days.
A key Government MP who lobbied for changes to the laws, Senator George Brandis, said today the changes included an "absolute defence to protect freedom of political speech and freedom of reportage and commentary".
Mr Garrett said Labor doubted the cartoons would be sufficient and that "cartoonists and creative artists, writers and others shouldn't be relying on defences in anti-terror legislation for them to carry out their work." Labor, however, will attempt to separate the sedition elements of the anti-terror laws in Parliament.
"The sedition laws are about protecting politicians. The detention laws are about protecting Australians," Mr Beazley said.
"I'm all for protecting Australians, I'm not for protecting politicians, and we're talking about politicians' reputations, not their lives."
Mr Garrett said: "The defences that we think will be proposed will not be sufficient, and in any event cartoonists and creative artists, writers and others shouldn't be relying on defences in anti-terror legislation for them to carry out their work."
THE Federal Opposition said today Australia had joined the ranks of tyrannical states such as North Korea, Syria, and Cuba by strengthening its free speech laws.
Labor leader Kim Beazley said the Howard Government seemed "hell bent" on enforcing the sedition aspects of its new anti-terror laws.
The Government says the laws are to enable authorities to tackle extremists who urge violence against Australians and Attorney-General Philip Ruddock again defended the sedition plans, saying they would not act as curbs on free speech. (Full story)
Under the sedition measure in the Anti-Terrorism Bill, anyone convicted of urging a group to use force or violence against another group could be jailed for up to seven years.
"I do not know why the Government insists that we should lower ourselves to the standard of North Korea, Syria and Cuba," Mr Beazley said.
"I don't think that's necessary but they seem to be hell bent on this." Former Midnight Oil frontman and Labor MP Peter Garrett said the sedition laws meant the Government was now "at war" with Australia's satirical cartoonists and writers.
Media organisations, a government-led Senate committee, civil libertarians and other lobbyists had all called on the Government to drop the sedition provisions in the bill, concerned that future governments might use the laws to silence anti-government commentary in the media.
Some amendments were made to the laws last night and the laws are now expected to be in force in a matter of days.
A key Government MP who lobbied for changes to the laws, Senator George Brandis, said today the changes included an "absolute defence to protect freedom of political speech and freedom of reportage and commentary".
Mr Garrett said Labor doubted the cartoons would be sufficient and that "cartoonists and creative artists, writers and others shouldn't be relying on defences in anti-terror legislation for them to carry out their work." Labor, however, will attempt to separate the sedition elements of the anti-terror laws in Parliament.
"The sedition laws are about protecting politicians. The detention laws are about protecting Australians," Mr Beazley said.
"I'm all for protecting Australians, I'm not for protecting politicians, and we're talking about politicians' reputations, not their lives."
Mr Garrett said: "The defences that we think will be proposed will not be sufficient, and in any event cartoonists and creative artists, writers and others shouldn't be relying on defences in anti-terror legislation for them to carry out their work."
posted by professor rat at 10:33 PM
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