Pirate Party Australia is furious that the Attorney-General’s Department is considering expansive additions to Australia’s already overbearing ‘security theatre’ operations[1].
The Attorney-General’s Department is proposing a “super warrant” system that can grant ASIO sweeping investigative powers for six months. This currently requires much greater judicial oversight.
“It seems to now be a weekly occurrence that the Government adds a new act to its ‘security theatre’. If the Gillard government cares so dearly about citizen input, why were expansive changes to the ASIO Act – changes that would potentially allow ASIO to target Wikileaks – pushed through last May without public inquiry?” questioned Brendan Molloy, Secretary of Pirate Party Australia.
“Nothing about warrants should be streamlined. It is an affront to due process to weaken judicial principles in the name of ‘counter-terrorism’, which seems to be the catch-cry of anyone unjustly wanting more power. We oppose these steps toward a police state.”
Pirate Party Australia also continues to stand strongly against any data retention regime on the grounds that it is an unreasonable invasion of privacy and human dignity.
“Under the proposal ISP’s will be required to store all communications for two years so ASIO can go through our personal data at their leisure. This is akin to the post office opening and photocopying all mail before sending it on to its destination.” said Simon Frew, Pirate Party Deputy President. “The previous Attorney-General, Robert McClelland, tried to pass similar legislation but backed away after a significant public backlash.”
“If the goal of the ‘war on terror’ is to defend ‘Western values’ we have to ask ourselves what those Western values are. Many of the rights and freedoms we have enjoyed are being taken away from us in the name of ‘national security’. With legislation like this we are losing our right to privacy and our right to due process. The attacks on the Occupy movement demonstrate the erosion of our right to speak out. Increased government secrecy is an attack on the fundamental right to know what our government does in our name. All of this is leaves us with the question: ‘have the terrorists won?'” Mr Frew concluded.
In 1968 Australia offered more freedom (except for the oppressed Indigenous population)than I encountered in any other country for the next 10 years. In the interim period it has come to remind me of East Germany and South Africa of the 1970s, a Big Brother state par excellence, police ready to step in with a heavy technology laden hand at a moments notice in order to mark the territory as theirs….a pity, because the land itself has a magic and ease of relationship like no other.