Any individual as well as journalists can now be arrested without charges being laid. (41)
As David Marr points out (Quarterly Essay Issue 26, ’07): “Once habeas corpus went in 2005 – arrest without charge and detention without trial – it was difficult to see what bedrock rights remained” (pp.10-13).
The Australian branch of the Commonwealth Press Union and the journalists’ union, the Canberra Press Gallery, the Media Entertainment and Arts Alliance (MEAA), Reporters San Frontieres agree that the government is “squeezing public debate” (Quarterly Essay Issue 26, ’07. pp.10-13):
*Punishment for breaking bans on reporting (contained in federal anti-terrorism laws) include 5-year prison sentences for reporting detention without trial of suspects and witnesses
*Federal ministers can now withhold as they wish documents from the public even with the Freedom of Information laws – as confirmed by the High Court last year
*The government has made it very difficult for journalists to report on refugees and asylum seekers getting to Australia by boat
*Gerard McManus and Michael Harvey are journalists relentlessly pursued by the government for refusing to reveal the source of their story and are now waiting sentencing for contempt of court.
In fact, Minister Philip Ruddock’s proposed shield laws offer “no absolute protection for journalists who refuse to name sources, and no protection at all for whistleblowers who go to the press” (David Marr, Quarterly Essay, 26, ’07, p58).
6. Under the Constitution, the public has the right to know, the right to be consulted and to determine national actions & policies through referendums
The following federal actions are arguably against Constitutional principles and contravene the right of the public to be informed of these matters and their right to vote in a referendum on these matters before decisions and actions are implemented – (as no public consultation has ever been mentioned nor considered about these matters!) Some of these actions contravene international treaties to which Australia is a signatory (particularly the Northern Territory intervention):
– federal plan to take control of ailing Murray-Darling system currently jointly managed by NSW, Victoria, South Australia and Queensland state governments (42)
-take-over of Tasmanian public hospital in the marginal seat of Braddon (reported on ABC news 1/8/07) (43)
-Using federal troops, federal government take-over of 73 Northern Territory Aboriginal communities and the town camps in Alice Springs, Tennant Creek and Katherine – and of land in these areas owned by Aboriginal tribes (44)
-Australia’s signing on to the World Trade Organisation provisions under which multinational corporations can be allowed to take control over national resources including water, waterways, flora and fauna; education, health and other services (45) Contributed to (Bulatlat.com)
**The author would also like to acknowledge the Uniting Church in Australia and UnionsWA for their important inputs in this article.
References:
1 releases by ACTU & UnionsWA – www.actu.asn.au
2 Quarterly Essay, Issue 26, 2007, pp.6-13
3 abc.net.au 20/6/07, www.actu.sn.au
4 The Australian Financial Review 13/1/07, ppS2-S3 ‘Big results mean big dollars and big questions’ -D. Kitney & A. Hepworth
5 www.theage.com.au/news
6 ACOSS; Poverty in Australia – Uniting Church in Australia (2007)
7 The Greens Policy Snapshots, p.18; Young People Balancing Work & Study – Uniting Church in Australia (2007)
8 news.com.au 15/11/07 ‘Meagher promises $30m for emergency depts.’;
www.abc.net.au
9 The Greens Policy Snapshots, p.10
10 Indigenous Health – Uniting Church (2007)
11 www.thage.com.au/news
12 The West Australian, p.13, 13/11/07 ‘PM spends big despite Reserve warning’-S.Wright; ‘Coalition throws everything at voters in the hope they will see it their way’ – A. Probyn
13 Ibid; The West Australian, front page, 12/11/07 ‘Howard pins hope on spending spree’ – A. Probyn
14 smh.com.au 26/10/07 ‘Unions helped limit inflation, says Keating’ – A. West; Pension Adequacy & Private Provisioning – Building on the Taxpayer Provided Pension -Address by Paul Keating at Global Pension & Investment Forum, 7/2/07, Monaco – collection of P. Keating’s speeches, www.keating.org.au/sitemap.cfm
15 Ibid
16 Ibid
17 Ibid
18 www.actu.asn.au
19 www.actu.asn.au
20 US State Department – 2007 Trafficking in Persons Report
21 Interview with Joel Asphar, AMWU organiser
22 Interviews with Joe Fiala, CEPU/ETU & Joel Asphar, AMWU
23 smh.com.au 26/10/07 ‘Unions helped limit inflation, says Keating’ – A.West
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