Community groups have given the Federal Government five out of ten for its record on human rights this year. A national review conducted by groups including the Australian Council of Trade Unions and churches has concluded Australia's record on human rights has deteriorated.Mark Purcell from the Catholic Commission for Justice and Peace, says of particular concern is Australia's role in the war on Iraq.
"There is an estimation that between 21,000 and 50,000 people have died as a result of that war and we believe that the Australian Government has some moral responsibility to take for those deaths in Iraq," he said.
"Really, respecting human rights is about avoiding things like war and we don't feel the Australian Government really tried to do that."
Mr Purcell said the Government was also marked down because of the policy of holding children in immigration detention centres. "Really we must get these children out of detention, it's the wrong thing to be doing," he said.
"It's nasty, brutal and unjust that we're imprisoning children."
By Fundamental Behaviour 10 December 03
Related:
Red Cross warns resource wars in the Middle East are eroding human rights The head of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has warned that the worldwide campaign against terrorism [the Coalition of the Killing's resource wars in the Middle East], must not be used to breach peoples right under international law.
Man on first terror charge not first alleged terrorist
So they had been watching Zak Mallah, the alleged terrorist, [scapegoat for the Coalition of the Killing's resource war's in the Middle East and the war on liberty, at home], for five years. Certainly not waiting for the right time? Just prior the Federal Election to nail him to the wall, were they?
ASIO bill expected to pass Senate
The war criminal, Federal Attorney-General has defended proposed new ASIO, [an Australian terrorist organisation], powers which would limit the media's ability to report on terrorist investigations, [scapegoat investigations.]
Ettridge seeks probe into fraud case
One Nation co-founder David Ettridge has asked the Australian Crime Commission (ACC) to investigate the electoral fraud case that saw himself and the former One Nation leader Pauline Hanson jailed and then released on appeal.
Queensland punishes disabled children kept in cages
TONY EASTLEY: Still in Queensland, and there are disturbing new allegations about disabled children having suffered extraordinary abuse in private residential care facilities.
Australian Corruption: Absence in Absentia
Two Sydney brothers illegally sentenced in Lebanon to 10 years' hard labour could cancel extradition, despite the fascist dictator John Howard declaring Australia is ready to extradite them.
NSW leaves nation behind in rate and cost of jailing people
NSW not only has the most prisoners of any Australian state but also has the most violent prisoners, among the highest rates of recidivism and an increasingly expensive prison system, a Auditor-General's report says.
NSW PRISONS: A TOTAL ABUSE OF POWER
We the inmates, [prisoners], at the High Risk Management Unit at Goulburn Correctional Centre, would like to ask you for help in receiving equal treatment and opportunities as other inmates, [prisoners], throughout the system. As we are told that we are not in a segregation units, [solitary confinement units], but we are treated as though we are in one.
Should Pauline Hanson have gone to gaol in the first place?: Carmen Lawrence For example, the cost of running the NSW prison system is over $530 million each year and rising. In addition, the government spends around $90 million per year on building and maintaining prisons.
Who owns media ethics? Zoom Zoom Zoom?
But who owns the media ethics? The government of the day? The highest bidder? The biggest earner? The greatest spinner? Those that ask the least questions? Tell the biggest lies?
Database clears up crimes but not used to clear up miscarriages?
NSW Police Minister John Watkins said at the launch of a Sydney conference of international forensic experts meeting to mark 100 years of fingerprinting in NSW.
Downer out of touch: Archbishop Carnley
Anglican Archbishop Peter Carnley has called on Alexander Downer to lift his game, saying the Foreign Minister has put Australia into a "difficult position internationally".
JUSTICE KIRBY: JUDICIAL ACTIVISM
Kirby's insight is decent, last week Justice Kirby threw at the Federal Government's barrister, the Solicitor-General David Bennett QC, in a ground-breaking case heard in the High Court, testing for the first time Australia's Mandatory Immigration Detention Scheme.
Howard Govt: Absolute vacuum on Compassion, Reality and Justice
The Northern Territory's Labor Senator, Trish Crossin, says the Federal Government showed no compassion for asylum seekers when it excised Melville Island from Australia's migration zone earlier this month.
Refugee policy, here is a new project: Burnside
The idea is to have thousands of Australian citizens writing to federal parliamentarians asking very simple, but hard, questions about the key aspects of refugee policy. I have devised a letter writing kit for this purpose. I attach a copy. It contains instructions which, are, I hope, fairly clear.
New A-G Ruddock has no regard for the independence of courts
As immigration Minister Ruddock's respect fell short of human rights when he tried to stop appeals introducing the Pacific Solution which means if an illegal immigrant is picked up in Australian waters by our navey they are sent elsewhere for processing. If their application for asylum is rejected they can be deported without legal appeal in Australia.
Judge renews child detainee release call
A Family Court judge, for a second time, has appealed to Immigration Minister, Philip Ruddock to address the issue of children in detention.
Signs of the Times: Aggressive Scepticism
If anyone has known a schizophrenic then you may also know that it is because of some sound or picture that invaded their thoughts which sent them mad. So possibly, any invasion of my time with self, a time to integrate past experiences could send someone mad. However if there is no interference with our own thoughts and ideas we sometimes choose to write down our conclusions and share our ideas with others socially.
Civil Liabilities: Howard's diversity? I had a dream?
The war criminal, Prime Minister, John Howard, who only yesterday was claiming he was showing diversity has stepped up pressure on the states to support plans to increase the war criminal, Federal Attorney-General's powers to ban terrorist organisations, [scapegoats and patsies for the Coalition of the Killing's illegal and degrading resource wars in the Middle East.]
