Submitted by Liberty Victoria on Wed, 08/03/2017 - 11:18
The rumoured plan to create a sprawling ‘Department of Homeland Security’ is dangerous, wasteful and unnecessary, warns human rights group Liberty Victoria.
Fairfax Media reported yesterday that Malcolm Turnbull is considering the creation of a US-style ‘Department of Homeland Security’, to be built around the Immigration Department. The mega-department would swallow up at least half a dozen other agencies, including the Australian Federal Police and ASIO.
Submitted by Liberty Victoria on Sat, 11/02/2017 - 02:04
Citizenship plan unfair and
invasive, says rights group
Changes floated by the Immigration Minister to requirements for Australian citizenship are unnecessary and counter-productive, Liberty Victoria said today.
Peter Dutton suggested on Sky News on 7 February that the test should involve a greater inquiry into a candidate's history of work, their children's conduct and English proficiency.
Getting citizenship already involves an investigation into whether a person has a criminal history, residency requirements and a test.
Submitted by Liberty Victoria on Wed, 25/01/2017 - 10:38
Scrapping bail for “serious” crimes dangerous
and goes too far, rights group warns
The idea that some people facing "serious" offences should not be allowed to apply for bail is dangerous and unnecessary, Liberty Victoria warned today.
Liberty Victoria welcomes the government's exposure draft marriage equality bill, but calls for religious exemptions to be removed, not expanded. Announced along with the failed plebiscite legislation, it is now subject of a Senate Inquiry.
Liberty is pleased the bill would replace the discriminatory “one man and one woman” with a simple “2 people”, and would recognise overseas marriages banned by the 2004 amendments, whenever they took place.
On 8 November 2016, the Attorney-General referred to the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Human Rights for inquiry and report, whether the operation of Part IIA of the Racial Discrimination Act 1975 (Cth) (including sections 18C and 18D) impose unreasonable restrictions on freedom of speech; and whether the complaints-handling procedures of the Australian Human Rights Commission should be reformed.
Liberty Victoria has made a submission to this Inquiry.
The Voltaire Award for free speech has been given annually by Liberty Victoria for many years. In 2016, we presented the inaugural ‘Empty Chair’ award. In 2017, we presented the inaugural ‘Young
Submitted by Liberty Victoria on Thu, 08/12/2016 - 16:42
Human rights group Liberty Victoria applauds the Andrews government for taking a strong and principled stance on the right to die with dignity.
However, while welcoming that announcement, Liberty is dismayed at a recent flurry of announcements on justice reforms, which are reactionary, ill-considered and prone to gross abuse.
The government’s latest step to remove from judicial oversight the police force’s potential to abuse the taking of DNA samples is condemned.
