IT AIN'T OVER YET!! The ASIO bill, which will be debated by the Senate during the current session of the Federal Parliament, will, if not blocked in the Senate, have a profound impact on the few common law rights Australian's still enjoy to protest. Under the guise of fighting terrorism, the ASIO bill, if passed in the Senate, will allow Australian's as young as twelve to be detained and interrogated by ASIO, without charges even being laid. The Federal Attorney General can have anybody detained and interrogated by ASIO, without a legal representative being present, for up to seven days, if he believes the person may have information that may assist ASIO in their investigation. Although ASIO has extensive powers to collect information, it has never had policing powers. Giving ASIO the power to detain and interrogate citizens, without charges being laid, let alone proved, has worrying ramifications for all Australian's. Passing legislation, to destroy hard won common law rights and liberties to protect our rights and liberties, does not make sense. Giving the State unlimited power over the individual, by creating a political police force, is a worrying trend that is much more dangerous than any terrorist threat could ever be. We need to remember that historically, the greatest terrorist threat hasn't been posed by individuals or groups, but by States that have unlimited powers over their citizens. The greater the powers enjoyed by the government of the day, the greater the terrorist threat, faced by the people they rule. The history of the 20th century, is littered with examples of States that have used the unlimited powers they have held, to create a terrorist threat, far greater than any terrorist threat their citizens were exposed to in the first place. The Howard Government's decision to play hard ball and not make any major amendments, or place a sunset clause on the life of the proposed legislation, places the ball back in the Labor Parties Court. The Labor Party faces a historic decision. It can vote with the government and pass this dangerous piece of legislation, or it can vote against the legislation in the Senate and block the Howard governmentıs attempts to remove what few common law rights Australians enjoy in this country, to protest without fear of arbitrary arrest, detention and imprisonment.
