The Road to Sedition?

[Toucan]

John Howard's new Anti-Terror laws witch have been kept under wraps have finally been revieled (Spelling?).

They where leaked by Liberal parliamentarian Chief Minister John Stanhope (a member of John Howard’s own party), who is concerned about the rights and freedoms of Australian's. Word is Howy is so mad about this he virtually considers it treason.

Under the law it would be illegal to speak out against the government in any way what so ever, to illustrate the point, cartoonists around the country have received advice that they should stop portraying the Prime Minister in a derogatory manor or face jail time, as it would be seen as "aiding an enemy".

A film festival in Queensland has also been ordered to remove the great Australian film Gallipoli from its line up as it portrays both the English and Australian commanders as stupid and hence could be seen as "Aiding an enemy".

The federal police now have the right to demand ANY document from ANYONE with out warrant or even telling you why they want it, if they suspect the said document is in some way linked to a terrorist operation.

They also have the right to demand any document from the press, if the member of the press refuses to reveal the said document they face being detained and/or up to 2 years imprisonment.

Add to that, if the member of the press reveals to the public that they where detained, they could face up to 5 years imprisonment.

So, you’re not allowed to state an opinion about the government, or you face jail, tell anyone you feel you have been dealt with unfairly by the government and you face jail.

Mr.Stanhope is not guilty of treason against the Australian people Mr.Howard, YOU ARE!!!

There are many articles online in regard to this (to many to select a few to post), just Google news Australian Sedition, or Australian anti-terror laws and you will find to much to wade through.

I’m disgusted with the Australian Government at this time.

[Yoda]

Please give me a source...!! This is really scary and I want to see it from someone else before my fears are confirmed. Zieg Hei!! Hail Howard!! :cry:

[Valjean]

This direction troubles me deeply. This kind of restriction is just the thing Terrorists want; they want fear and tyranical power grabs from governments.

[Toucan]

Damn Yoda, dont you read the papers?
But anyway, it looks like after the leak Howy is going to make a bit of a boutface, sugesting he would provide provisions with in the Australian Sedition Law's (yes thats what there calling them) to protect artists and journalists from them.
There are many souces to choose from if you wouldlike more information.
Here are a few.

http://news.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=71006
http://www.greenleft.org.au/back/2005/649/649p4c.htm
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5744,17421271%255E7582,00.html

[Yoda]

Well I do read the papers, but didn't see that information anywhere.

But none of those mention "Gallipoli", or say that speaking out against the government deserves jail time....

[Toucan]

Well I do read the papers, but didn't see that information anywhere.

But none of those mention "Gallipoli", or say that speaking out against the government deserves jail time....

Under the existing sedition provisions it is a crime to intentionally “excite disaffection against the government or constitution” of Australia or “against either house of the parliament” or to “promote feelings of ill-will and hostility between different classes of her majesty’s subjects so as to endanger the peace, order or good government” of Australia. The government proposes to amend the law to make it an offence simply to “urge disaffection” with the government, rather than “exciting disaffection”.

The government’s anti-terrorism bill also proposes to add a new offence to the “sedition and treason” section in the federal Criminal Code (1995), making it punishable by seven years’ imprisonment for “any person” who “urges another person to engage in conduct to assist, by any means whatever, an organisation or country ... engaged in armed hostilities against the Australian Defence Force”.
On October 17, PM John Howard told ABC Radio National that the aim of this new offence is to “stop people encouraging people overseas to attack our soldiers in Iraq”. On February 20, 2004, Howard indicated that he regards peaceful anti-war demonstrations in Australia to be “encouraging” Iraqis engaged in armed resistance to Australian troops.

So if you disagree with the Australian war effort and are involved in a peaceful protest, then you are comitting a crime and will even be viewed as encouraging attacks on Australian troops, if you publish anything at all that is different in view from that of the government, you are considered to incite disaffection.

Did you even read the first article posted?

As to Gallipoli, That was in the local Paper, “The West Australian".

[Aya]

Sounds like the Sedition Act of 1917, here in the US. Back when we entered WWI, Congress passed the Sedition Act, making it a crime to criticize or speak out against the government.

"Necessity is the plea for every infringement of human freedom. It is the argument of tyrants. It is the creed of slaves." -- William Pitt

"With the first link, a chain is forged. The first speech censored, the first thought forbidden, the first freedom denied, chains us all irrevocably." -- Jean-Luc Picard, Star Trek: The Next Generation episode "The Drumhead"

Rock on, Picard.

"When fascism comes to America, it will come wrapped in an American flag"
Senator Huey Long

[Chigro]

Isnt that sort of like communism? not being able to speak out against your government?

[Yoda]

Isnt that sort of like communism? not being able to speak out against your government?

Yes, its part of communism (not being able to speak out against the government). But its also part of a dictatorship, which this is more likely to head to.

[Spartan-II]

Sounds like Mr.Howard and Stalin would get along.

Yoda: It's Seig Heil. Look it up before you post it. >_>

[william_clinch]

If they do implement these rules, it will only end in disaster
takeing away peoples freedoms will end up in a revolt against the goventment
POWER TO THE PEOPLE!!

[GenocideAlive]

This direction troubles me deeply. This kind of restriction is just the thing Terrorists want; they want fear and tyranical power grabs from governments.
omfg...give me a goddamn break. I'm so sick of hearing this bullshit propaganda. Terrorists don't have large-scale elaborate schemes of multi-faceted degredation of local and federal governments, their plan is: BLOW SHIT UP. They don't want more laws making terrorism harder, they want power and chaos.

I'm glad the Patriot Act got shot down for "permanent resolutions" and I'm confident Australia will deal with its problems too. They're both using panic-legislation to try to make a very messy patch to a serious gap in government power dealing with international terrorism. I think the US's use of the Patriot Act was OK (even a little iffy) for its time, but needs some vast revisions before it gets any kind of permanent status.

I wish I could say that what's going on in Australia is the result of some sort of terrorism, but it really doesn't. Censoring the media and threatening everybody that could deride the government doesn't have anything to do with terrorism. It sounds like one of the parties is trying to make a shady move using a very transparent strawman.