Look about in fear

I need only quote from Brian Toohey in the recent Canberra Sunday Times to demonstrate a frightening trend. The action on Scott Parkin, the proclaimed pacifist and anti-Hallibuton protestor, is a warning of an uncertain future.

“In 2002, Carr introduced the Terrorism (Police Powers) Act which protects police who abuse their powers. The new law states that nothing the police do during a declared terrorism incident, whether a false alarm or not, may be challenged, reviewed, quashed or called into question on any grounds whatsoever before any court, tribunal, body or person in any legal proceedings. Removing any role for the courts, as Carr has done, undermines fundamental protections all citizens are supposed to enjoy in a free society.

“Those of a conservative disposition, who believe in imposing checks and balances on the power of the state, cannot be heartened by the plans of the Western Australian and South Australian Labor governments to give more authority to the police so long as they invoke the justification that they are handling a suspected terrorism situation. Although full details are lacking, it seems the police will be able to issue their own search warrants, without bothering with court approval.

“At the federal level, the courts are being pushed aside also their proposed new laws to allow preventive detention of suspects without charge and for the federal police to skip the normal warrant process and order companies to produce materials of alleged relevance to terrorism and other serious offences, so far unspecified.”

“Politicians should stop stirring up terror plot” by Brian Toohey. In Canberra Sunday Times, 18 Sept 2005, p.25