Terror laws 'open to abuse'

[Guest guest]

A

Sat, 22 Oct 2005 11:41:35 -0700 (PDT)

Terror laws 'open to abuse'

 

 

 

 

 

http://www.thecouriermail.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5936,17000159%5E421,00\

..html

 

 

 

 

Terror laws 'open to abuse'

 

22oct05

 

ENCOURAGING ill-feeling against Prime Minister John Howard will be

illegal under the federal Government's proposed anti-terror laws,

Greens senator Bob Brown said.

 

Senator Brown was addressing several hundred people gathered on the

steps of Victoria's Parliament House today to rally against the

anti-terror laws.

 

He said the new laws could mean jail for people showing disrespect for

the prime minister.

 

" After this legislation is passed, if I urge you to be disaffectionate

to Mr Howard and his government, that is illegal - potential jail

sentence seven years, " Senator Brown said.

 

At today's peaceful rally, protesters carried banners reading " Death

to Fascism " and " Defend Democracy " as a police contingent watched over

them.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Senator Brown slammed the Labor Party and Labor state governments for

failing to speak out against the " draconian " measures.

 

However, he praised ACT Chief Minister Jon Stanhope for exposing the

draft bill.

 

Senator Brown said Mr Howard had shown he did not trust Australians to

debate the laws and accused him of trying to rush the bill through

parliament.

 

" If you don't trust the Australian people, you don't deserve to be

prime minister of this country, " he said.

 

" This is a prime minister legislating against the very name of his

party and the very idea of liberalism. "

 

Democrats leader Senator Lyn Allison told the crowd Australia was

moving into " a dangerous time " .

 

" We're dealing here with a very very serious piece of legislation, "

she said.

 

" Those laws are going to be more likely to put you and me in prison. "

 

Senator Brown told reporters that the new laws could restrict the

right to protest.

 

" It concerns me greatly that a rally like this, which is not

expressing affection for the prime minister, is by the strict letter

of the law, going to be against the law, " he said.

 

" It concerns me because the Franklin blockade would have been a breach.

 

" It concerns me that the Vietnam moratoriums would not be allowed.

 

" There could be wholesale arrests of people engaging in protests ...

because to do so is to express disaffection for the Commonwealth, " Mr

Brown said.

 

" Really, the law is aimed at saying you've got to side with the

Commonwealth, the Howard Government or you've got to risk it - you've

got to risk trespassing against these laws. "

 

" Sure, we need laws to track down terrorists but the laws already

enable us to surveil, to track down, to interrogate, to jail people

who are contemplating violence in this country, " he said.

 

Other speakers today included Muslim lawyer Urfa Masood, Brian Walters

of Liberty Victoria and Les Thomas, the brother of Jack Thomas who is

facing trial in Victoria on terrorism charges.