Confessions of a Misguided Trio

It’s interesting the things one is able to receive through random telephone conversations with members of the Faculty of Law at the University of New South Wales.

I received a Briefing on the Sedition Offences in the Anti-Terrorism Bill 2005 the other day…

‘The final two new offences involve urging a person to assist organisations or countries fighting militarily against Australia – even if Australia has invaded another country illegally. If opposing Australian aggression is interpreted to constitute tacit support for its enemies, Australians may be prosecuted for condemning illegal violence by their government or, for seeking to uphold the United Nations Charter.’

The Howard Regime have outdone themselves on this one. No longer are we as members of an alleged democracy legally able to oppose its governments’ policies.

Schedule 7 of the proposed bill amends the crimes act of 1914 to make it an offence to engage in a seditious enterprise or to write, print, utter or publish any seditious words, with the intention of causing violence or creating a public disorder or disturbance. The amendment defines seditious intention as follows:

Seditious intention means an intention to effect any of the following purposes:
a) to bring the Sovereign into hatred or contempt;
b) to urge disaffection against the following:
i. the Constitution;
ii. the Government of the Commonwealth;
iii. either House of the Parliament;
c) to urge another person to attempt, otherwise than by lawful means, to procure a change to any matter established by law in the Commonwealth;
d) to promote feelings of ill-will or hostility between different groups so as to threaten the peace, order and good government of the Commonwealth.

Now don’t get me wrong, I’m a huge fan of countering terror, there is nothing that can justify the senseless killing of innocent civilians. However, last time I checked, making your government immune to criticism can do little to prevent a suicide bomber on a bus.