Liberty Victoria, New South Wales, Queensland, South Australian and Australian Councils for Civil Liberties made a joint submission to the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security on the Independent National Security Legislation Monitor (INSLM).
The inquiry sought public submissions on the potential impact on journalists by reason of the operation of section 35P of the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation Act 1979 concerning offences for the disclosure of information relating to a ‘special intelligence operation’.
Liberty Victoria has had an opportunity to consider the recommendations of the Law Institute of Victoria and we fully endorse them.
Liberty Victoria would have preferred the opportunity to provide more detailed submissions but the time frame allowed for their provision was impossibly short. We would hope that in future further time is allowed to make submissions on such important issues. We would appreciate the opportunity to give testimony when the Committee has hearings on this matter.
Liberty Victoria has welcomed the Andrews Government’s decision to scrap an offensive and counter-productive Crimes Act provision. Section 19A was introduced into the Crimes Act by the Kennett government in 1993 in response to a tabloid panic about armed robbers brandishing blood-filled syringes and threatening AIDS.
The Victorian Government commissioned a review to consider the legislative amendments required to permit adoption of children by same-sex couples under Victorian law. The review is being conducted by Eamonn Moran PSM QC, former Chief Parliamentary Counsel and a current Commissioner of the Victorian Law Reform Commission. The scope of the review is limited to determining the technical legislative changes required to permit adoption by same-sex couples. The review seeks to establish the best ways to legislate for adoption equality – not whether it should occur or not.
To mark the 12-month anniversary of drastic Government cuts to free legal services for asylum seekers, leading refugee organisations across Australia have called on the Federal Government to ensure access to justice and reinstate free legal representation.
We write to set out our concerns regarding the Data Retention Bill presently before the Parliament.
We are deeply troubled by the provisions of the Bill, even with the amendments passed by the House of Representatives. In particular, we are concerned that:
The government has not demonstrated that this Bill is necessary, proportionate and reasonable,
This bill seeks to prevent unnecessary delays in the reporting of animal cruelty and what are described as ‘illegal interferences in the lawful operation of animal enterprises.’
Whilst Liberty Victoria is broadly supportive of measures aimed at protecting animals against acts of malicious cruelty, we consider that the Bill is deeply flawed and misguided. Some of the major objections to the Bill include:
An alarming trend has evolved in calls being made for tougher laws whenever a perceived or real problem of rising crime appeared, Liberty Victoria said today.
“Such is the case with recent suggestions that Victoria has a gaping ‘black hole’ in its laws, making it a choice destination for motor cycle gangs,” said Liberty President George Georgiou SC. “There is no black hole.”
Liberty Victoria is alarmed at the Prime Minister’s response to comments by the United Nations that various aspects of Australia’s treatment of asylum seekers contravenes the UN Convention Against Torture.
“The Prime Minister’s assertion that Australians are ‘sick of being lectured to’ by the United Nations is yet another attempt to belittle the bearer of bad news without honestly acknowledging what is in the report,” said George Georgiou SC, President of Liberty Victoria.
Liberty Victoria has joined the chorus of criticism levelled at the Federal Government over its bullying of the Australian Human Rights Commission president, Professor Gillian Triggs.
It is a matter of great concern that, according to Professor Triggs’s evidence to the Senate estimates committee, she was told that the Attorney General required her resignation and that she would be offered other work with the government, if she agreed to resign as president of the AHRC.
Such a request strikes at the very heart of the independence of the Commission.
