Confessions of a Misguided Trio

Judge agrees with the trio...

Ok, not really, but close enough...

Bought to my attention by a side note in the Gold Coast Bulletin, some comments from former Australian Federal Court judge Marcus Einfeld, in relation to the Australian Governments Anti-Terror Bill 2005.

Further searching allowed me to find some more information courtest of The Age.

Speaking at a symposium at the University of Western Sydney, Justice Einfeld QC questioned how many fundamental human rights Australians were expected to give up in the interests of protection.

"Despite protests from groups as diverse as extreme left activists to members of the Liberal Party itself, and critical debate at the highest academic levels, the government has seen fit to expand on legislation that many have decried as archaic," he told the gathering.

"They are a Pandora's Box of possible abuses if used incorrectly. How far do we allow ourselves to be led away from fundamental liberal and democratic tenets in the name of fighting terrorism?"

Einfeld went a little further in his criticisms of the Howard Regime...

"Many of these (terrorist) countries have been backed and financed by the US and other western powers, including Australia whose own very personal contribution to the terrorist regimes via the Australian Wheat Board is now believed by every taxi driver in the country"

I'm not to sure about the taxi driver comment, although they do read the papers which is a whole lot more that a number of other people I know...

In closing I'm going to allow Justice Einfeld one last parting shot...

"Apparently political transparency is a democratic ideal to which we only pay lips service these days."

posted by Mark @ 6:29 PM