Saturday, September 3, 2005

'Different times' call for bill of rights, says QC'

To ensure no future government can erode basic human rights

One of Australia's top barristers has called for the introduction of a bill of rights, to ensure no future government can erode basic human rights.

Lex Lasry, QC, gave last night's key note address at the University of Western Australia's annual Day of Ideas.

He told delegates while Australia has a good human rights record [?], he is concerned the Government is compromising that in its fight against terrorism. [Scapegoats for resource wars in the Middle East.]

But I don't know where he gets that from at the moment Australia's Human Rights record is appalling just ask any Refugee! Anyway I do understand pragmatism so I won't knock him any further because he wants to compromise with the government about their human rights record.

He says renewed debate is needed about the introduction of a bill of rights.

"I think the Government is using fear to erode people's rights and it's only perhaps in more recent times that people have started to see that it's important," he said.

"That these rights have to be protected in a way which can't be changed at the whim of government.

"I think the current Federal Government wouldn't be terribly sympathetic to that argument, but it may remain to be seen whether they are or not."

He says it is an issue that can no longer be ignored.

"The community's being urged to regard themselves as living in different times," he said.

"And every time you hear a politician say 'We're living in different times', the concern is that that's really code for 'You can't expect to have the same liberties now that you had in the past'."

"The problem with that is that it assumes that taking away people's liberties is going to prevent terrorism, and I obviously take issue with that logic."

Comment: Michael


More like a Bill of Right Wingers

Now would be the worst possible time to introduce a Bill of Rights in Australia. The same authorities who are currently trampling all over our rights in the name of the Wars on Terror, Drugs, Crime, Mental Illness, Non-Conformism, etc would hijack the process and simply legitimise and entrench their own agendas.

Good Bills of Rights don't come about when oppressive authorities hold the whip hand. They flourish in the brief periods following social upheavals *against* those authorities, while the memories of their abuses and the price paid to end them are still fresh and the new authorities have not yet entrenched their power against those who elevated them to power.

After we've gotten rid of the likes of John Howard, Philip Ruddock, Kim Beasley and, yes, Lex Lasry QC - whether it be through upwelling of disgust, collapse of the social order or bloody revolution - *then* is the time to start talking about drafting a Bill of Rights.

What about a bill of rights?

Hi. The deed is nearly done. By tonight, the NSW parliament will have passed new laws which allow police, on the say so of the police minister, to break-in to your house and search it, to strip search you, to search your vehicle, and to insist that you answer questions. The police minister is immune from scrutiny for whatever he authorizes and there’s no public disclosure of what is done under the new powers.

By Injust-Us 3 September 05

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