Confessions of a Misguided Trio

Counter-Anti-Terror Bill 2005 Part B

The following is in relation to the Anti-Terrorism Bill 2005 currently before the Australian Parliament...

On the 28th of November the Senate Legal and Constitutional Legislation Committee will be releasing their report on the Anti-Terrorism Bill 2005. Apparently the Senators thought it best to send the bill the commitee's way given the unanticipated public debates on the matter. Until the report is released, and given the fact that I’m still reading the UNAIDS Epidemic Update, I thought I’d just highlight certain parts of the proposed bill.

Today’s Highlight:
Schedule 4 Part 1 Section 105.38
In relation to disclosure:
1) A person (the offender) commits an offence if:
(a) a person being detained under a preventative detention order (the detainee) contacts the offender under section @105.34 and;
(b) the offender discloses to another person:
(i) the fact that a preventative detention order has been made in relation to the detainee;or
(ii)the fact that the detainee is being detained under the order; or
(iii)any information that the detainee gives the offender in the course of the contact;

(apologies for the above formating, it's raining)

Obviously there’s more to the section, but this little snippet is suffice. The above would make it an offence for YOU to tell YOUR SPOUSE that YOUR CHILD has been detained. YOUR PENALTY for sticking true to your wedding vows…..Imprisonment for 5 years…

But don’t fear... your civil rights are (somewhat) protected by Sub-Section 3 which states that you are ok if you are merely letting another person contacted know that the detainee is safe but is not able to be contacted for the time being… Kind of like your answering machine message…

Imagine the conversation, “No honey little Johnny is safe, we just can’t contact our 16 year old son at this point in time…’

posted by Mark @ 10:27 PM