Hot Butts
Greens oppose anti-terrorism bill
The annual conference of the Australian Greens has passed a motion opposing the Federal Government's anti-terrorism bill.
Around 70 delegates from around the country are meeting in Hobart this weekend.
The conference has been told that the police raids in Sydney and Melbourne this week illustrate that police and security agencies have extensive powers to investigate and prosecute anyone reasonably suspected of terrorism.
Greens Senator Bob Brown has told the conference the rights and freedoms threatened by the bill must be protected.
"We do not need more laws taking away public rights to speak out, public freedoms, house arrest for people who are not charged, prolonged control orders on people who are not charged," he said.
"These things are inimical to international accepted rights in a democracy and we mustn't give them up easily."
Senator Brown has also questioned whether the Prime Minister compromised the Australian Federal Police's terrorism investigation.
Overnight raids in Sydney and Melbourne this week saw 17 people arrested. ( and 1 of those was SHOT in the NECK!)
Those arrested were accused of being members of a terrorist organisation, stockpiling chemicals and planning a major attack on an unspecified target.
Senator Brown says the recent recalling of the Senate to make a minor amendment to the existing laws may have acted as a tip-off.
"The Prime Minister made an egregious mistake in recalling the Senate and alerting the alleged suspects that the police were about to move and we'll be pursuing that strongly," he said.
The Baxter Detention Centre in South Australia's north has returned to 'calm' after fires ripped through the facility yesterday.
The Immigration Department is still assessing the damage, but the bill is estimated to be in the hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Seventeen rooms were ruined and others damaged when several fires broke out early yesterday morning.
Fifty-eight detainees were evacuated and six were treated for smoke inhalation.
A department spokesman says they were mainly people who have overstayed their visas or had their visas cancelled on bad character grounds.
The four men being questioned over the fires have been separated from the rest of the detainees and are under constant surveillance.
Federal police and forensic investigators are continuing their inquiries.
The Democrats have denied their opposition to the planned anti-terrorism laws means they are sympathetic to terrorists.
Senator Andrew Bartlett says they acknowledge the threat to Australia but believe the new laws may make the situation worse by alienating members of the community.
He says giving extra powers to government officials and taking away basic freedoms will not make things better.
"Many people in the Australian community are very concerned that their rights will be compromised," he said.
"This is not about the rights of terrorists. This is about the human rights and the basic freedoms of all Australians.
"To give extreme extra amounts of power to government officials and to government officers without proper checks and balances has always in the past seen injustices occur."
Comedians have staged a concert in Sydney to protest against the Federal Government's sedition clause in the anti-terrorism legislation.
More than 800 people attended the event. Performers are concerned about the counter-terrorism bill which upgrades penalties for sedition to include seven year jail terms for promoting the use of force to overthrow the Government.
Organiser Wendy Harmer says Australia already has laws covering racial hatred and violence and says the proposed changes could limit free speech and political satire.
"These laws against sedition do go very much too far," she said.
"They are so vague and a potential 'catch all' that what people are worried about is that they will have a chilling effect.
"People won't say things because they won't know if they're being seditious or otherwise."
The Australian Greens will look to state and territory bills of rights in their push for a national bill of human rights to be enshrined in the constitution.
The party's national conference in Hobart has condemned the Government's anti-terrorism bill.
Greens Senator Kerry Nettle says while some states have their own bill of rights, it is time for the Federal Government to develop a national approach.
"In the ACT, bills of rights have been introduced by Greens, in West Australian Parliament and in the Tasmanian Parliament and what they do is set out the fundamental human rights and civil standards that we expect in our community," she said.
"We'll be looking at those and other bills of rights proposals that have been put forward to the Parliament and drawing out of those elements which we can insert into and move as amendments to the current terrorism legislation."
A refugee advocacy group says fires at the Baxter detention centre in South Australia are evidence of the ongoing desperation and frustration among immigration detainees.
Seventeen rooms in the Port Augusta facility were ruined and others were damaged in the fires yesterday.
Fifty-eight detainees had to be evacuated and six were treated for smoke inhalation.
Bernadette Wauchope from Rural Australians for Refugees says the destruction will continue until something is done.
"They become so desperate that they attempt self-harm or attempt suicide or maybe resort to lighting fires," she said.
"After being locked up for years and years the feeling that they're isolated and that nobody's listening to what their stories are, often that, well it does contribute to these kinds of acts," she said.
Immigration Minister Amanda Vanstone says while there are reports of a disruption prior to the fires, there is no indication of unrest among detainees.
"I haven't got any advice that indicates that food or any of the other sorts of regular complaints were a part of this," she said.
Senator Vanstone says deliberate property damage will not be tolerated.
"Anyone with no lawful right to be in Australia should leave irrespective of the behaviour that they've undertaken, but if someone with a visa or without a visa to be in Australia engages in criminal conduct that would be taken into account in terms of cancelling a visa," she said.
Federal police are questioning four detainees about the fires.
Thousands of South Koreans joined a labour union-organised protest on the streets of the capital today against the coming summit of Pacific Rim leaders including US President George W Bush.
The Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit opens this week in the South Korean port city of Pusan. Its agenda includes discussions on how to enhance global free trade and minimise damage from a bird flu pandemic.
Protesters in red headbands carried placards saying "No Bush visit" and "No APEC". They also demanded a revision of domestic labour laws to improve conditions for temporary workers and a better social security net for all workers.
Police put the turnout at more than 20,000.
Riot police lined the protest route and used buses to block streets as protesters marched near to the US embassy and the presidential Blue House. A city police official said there was no report of violence.
The rally was organised by the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions, the second-biggest and more militant of South Korea's two main umbrella labour groups.
The annual conference of the Australian Greens has passed a motion opposing the Federal Government's anti-terrorism bill.
Around 70 delegates from around the country are meeting in Hobart this weekend.
The conference has been told that the police raids in Sydney and Melbourne this week illustrate that police and security agencies have extensive powers to investigate and prosecute anyone reasonably suspected of terrorism.
Greens Senator Bob Brown has told the conference the rights and freedoms threatened by the bill must be protected.
"We do not need more laws taking away public rights to speak out, public freedoms, house arrest for people who are not charged, prolonged control orders on people who are not charged," he said.
"These things are inimical to international accepted rights in a democracy and we mustn't give them up easily."
Senator Brown has also questioned whether the Prime Minister compromised the Australian Federal Police's terrorism investigation.
Overnight raids in Sydney and Melbourne this week saw 17 people arrested. ( and 1 of those was SHOT in the NECK!)
Those arrested were accused of being members of a terrorist organisation, stockpiling chemicals and planning a major attack on an unspecified target.
Senator Brown says the recent recalling of the Senate to make a minor amendment to the existing laws may have acted as a tip-off.
"The Prime Minister made an egregious mistake in recalling the Senate and alerting the alleged suspects that the police were about to move and we'll be pursuing that strongly," he said.
The Baxter Detention Centre in South Australia's north has returned to 'calm' after fires ripped through the facility yesterday.
The Immigration Department is still assessing the damage, but the bill is estimated to be in the hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Seventeen rooms were ruined and others damaged when several fires broke out early yesterday morning.
Fifty-eight detainees were evacuated and six were treated for smoke inhalation.
A department spokesman says they were mainly people who have overstayed their visas or had their visas cancelled on bad character grounds.
The four men being questioned over the fires have been separated from the rest of the detainees and are under constant surveillance.
Federal police and forensic investigators are continuing their inquiries.
The Democrats have denied their opposition to the planned anti-terrorism laws means they are sympathetic to terrorists.
Senator Andrew Bartlett says they acknowledge the threat to Australia but believe the new laws may make the situation worse by alienating members of the community.
He says giving extra powers to government officials and taking away basic freedoms will not make things better.
"Many people in the Australian community are very concerned that their rights will be compromised," he said.
"This is not about the rights of terrorists. This is about the human rights and the basic freedoms of all Australians.
"To give extreme extra amounts of power to government officials and to government officers without proper checks and balances has always in the past seen injustices occur."
Comedians have staged a concert in Sydney to protest against the Federal Government's sedition clause in the anti-terrorism legislation.
More than 800 people attended the event. Performers are concerned about the counter-terrorism bill which upgrades penalties for sedition to include seven year jail terms for promoting the use of force to overthrow the Government.
Organiser Wendy Harmer says Australia already has laws covering racial hatred and violence and says the proposed changes could limit free speech and political satire.
"These laws against sedition do go very much too far," she said.
"They are so vague and a potential 'catch all' that what people are worried about is that they will have a chilling effect.
"People won't say things because they won't know if they're being seditious or otherwise."
The Australian Greens will look to state and territory bills of rights in their push for a national bill of human rights to be enshrined in the constitution.
The party's national conference in Hobart has condemned the Government's anti-terrorism bill.
Greens Senator Kerry Nettle says while some states have their own bill of rights, it is time for the Federal Government to develop a national approach.
"In the ACT, bills of rights have been introduced by Greens, in West Australian Parliament and in the Tasmanian Parliament and what they do is set out the fundamental human rights and civil standards that we expect in our community," she said.
"We'll be looking at those and other bills of rights proposals that have been put forward to the Parliament and drawing out of those elements which we can insert into and move as amendments to the current terrorism legislation."
A refugee advocacy group says fires at the Baxter detention centre in South Australia are evidence of the ongoing desperation and frustration among immigration detainees.
Seventeen rooms in the Port Augusta facility were ruined and others were damaged in the fires yesterday.
Fifty-eight detainees had to be evacuated and six were treated for smoke inhalation.
Bernadette Wauchope from Rural Australians for Refugees says the destruction will continue until something is done.
"They become so desperate that they attempt self-harm or attempt suicide or maybe resort to lighting fires," she said.
"After being locked up for years and years the feeling that they're isolated and that nobody's listening to what their stories are, often that, well it does contribute to these kinds of acts," she said.
Immigration Minister Amanda Vanstone says while there are reports of a disruption prior to the fires, there is no indication of unrest among detainees.
"I haven't got any advice that indicates that food or any of the other sorts of regular complaints were a part of this," she said.
Senator Vanstone says deliberate property damage will not be tolerated.
"Anyone with no lawful right to be in Australia should leave irrespective of the behaviour that they've undertaken, but if someone with a visa or without a visa to be in Australia engages in criminal conduct that would be taken into account in terms of cancelling a visa," she said.
Federal police are questioning four detainees about the fires.
Thousands of South Koreans joined a labour union-organised protest on the streets of the capital today against the coming summit of Pacific Rim leaders including US President George W Bush.
The Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit opens this week in the South Korean port city of Pusan. Its agenda includes discussions on how to enhance global free trade and minimise damage from a bird flu pandemic.
Protesters in red headbands carried placards saying "No Bush visit" and "No APEC". They also demanded a revision of domestic labour laws to improve conditions for temporary workers and a better social security net for all workers.
Police put the turnout at more than 20,000.
Riot police lined the protest route and used buses to block streets as protesters marched near to the US embassy and the presidential Blue House. A city police official said there was no report of violence.
The rally was organised by the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions, the second-biggest and more militant of South Korea's two main umbrella labour groups.
posted by professor rat at 3:15 AM
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