Pirate Party Australia is appalled by reports that should the Coalition form Government following the next federal election, they would provide ASIO with what was described by the Age’s Daniel Flitton as “unfettered powers to brand refugees a security risk to Australia”[1].
The Coalition would remove any form of appeal process to challenge ASIO’s determinations, flying in the face of fundamental human rights that a nation like Australia should strive to uphold. Warren Entsch, chief opposition whip, expressed that in his opinion ASIO rulings should not be reviewable, stating that “we rely on them absolutely”.
“Both major Parties seem intent on assaulting human and civil rights by granting draconian new powers to ASIO,” said Simon Frew, Deputy President of Pirate Party Australia.
“The ALP have the National Security Inquiry, where they want to give ASIO the power to dig through personal communication records without a warrant, hack computers of people suspected of no crime and demand passwords off anyone on a mere suspicion. The Liberal Party want to place ASIO above the Law by granting them absolute power over refugees. There is nothing liberal about abandoning the rule of law to set secret police onto people fleeing persecution.”
“Both major Parties are so obsessed with being seen to be tough on inflated terrorist threats that they are willing to jeopardise the fundamental democratic protections that make our society worth protecting. One must wonder if the major parties are taking the ‘Terrorists hate us for our freedom’ tenet so literally, that they think they can protect us by eliminating that freedom,” Mr Frew continued.
Pirate Party Australia would like to point out that the High Court ruled in October last year that the denial of a protection visa in response to an adverse ASIO assessment was invalid.[2]
“I was unaware that ASIO was considered to be a judicial body higher than that of the High Court,” said Brendan Molloy, Secretary of Pirate Party Australia.
“Consigning people to a legal blackhole at the word of a secret agent is the stuff of military dictatorships. If Australia’s future is one of secret courts with secret laws and secret processes, then I’ll have none of it, and neither should any of you,” he concluded.
[1] http://www.theage.com.au/national/coalition-to-hand-asio-power-over-refugees-20130202-2drfd.html
[2] http://www.hcourt.gov.au/assets/publications/judgment-summaries/2012/hca46-2012-10-05.pdf
Just a thought. Best to stick to Govt privacy regulations on our own citizens. If you start getting involved in refugee debates and more social issues you will dilute your appeal. We have a party to represent refugee rights – The Greens. Stay focused. You have the ability to appeal to a broad base if you keep your focus narrower and targeted.
This isn’t about refugee rights per se, it’s about ASIO being given unrestricted power with no oversight. ASIO should not be permitted to deport people under the claim of “security threats” without giving those people an appeal process. It is not unreasonable to limit ASIO’s power, and transparency in what is essentially a judicial process needs to be protected.
Completely disagree with Joel. Pirate Party stands up for human rights and transparency.
The current treatment of asylum seekers is quite possibly a violation of human rights – since when is “mandatory, indefinite detention” something a democracy is proud of? Read http://www.amnesty.org.au/refugees/ for more detailed info.
On top of this, ASIO has the ability to lock people up indefinitely without even letting them know what the charges against them are, and with no opportunity to defend themselves:
http://www.theage.com.au/opinion/political-news/wife-mother–security-threat-20120517-1yths.html#ixzz1vC1YUWg4
Mozart is right – ASIO is given way too much power, with not transperancy at all. It’s undemocratic, frightning, and very totalitarian. If the Pirate Party is pro human rights (and it is), then this is an issue.