Our 2005 Anti-terrorism Bill letter writing campaign
Image: Thanks to The Australian and Nicholson cartoons
The Anti-terrorism Bill 2005 should be of extreme concern to all Australians.
Its extremist powers are being pushed and peddled by the Howard administration, but as is becoming abundantly clear, the laws are not needed.
The laws do not safeguard anyone in Australia who may practice fierce dissent with the policies of the Howard government, and they do not safeguard those who criticise the Howard government, even if this is in writing or in the Performing or visual Arts. The fact that already an artist was requested to be prosecuted for treason against the State shows the level of concern we all should have with these laws.
Four years ago many Australians experienced a spine-chilling experience whenever they turned on the television. The then Immigration Minister Philip Ruddock, who now invariably gets drawn by cartoonists with a cold-blue facial skin tone, took every opportunity he could to embark on an agressive media-campaign, defending the indefensible in relation to "unannounced" asylum seekers arriving on our shores seeking asylum. Ruddock was Howard's chief defender of, if need be, a lifelong jailing of innocent men, women and children, who came to Australia unannounced by boat, just like tens of thousands of people have done for centuries, and they used their International right under the UN Refugee Convention and the International Declaration of Human Rights to do so.
Now once again, this time as the Attorney-General, Ruddock is defending the indefensible of the Anti-Terrorism Bill 2005, of its secrecy provisions - where even parents of those who are "snapped up" by ASIO on "suspicion only" can be jailed up to five years for telling their spouses or family members of this "ASIO disappearance" of their son or daughter; Ruddock does the media work also for the medieval "Sedition Laws" included in the legislation.
Surprisingly, an unexpected window of opportunity has appeared - small, but significant. While on Thursday November 10 (2005) Parliament was planning to rush these laws through, delays caused by the (equally draconian) Industrial Regulations Bills postposed the debate and the voting for the Terrorlaws in the lower house.
Included in this page on our website is a list of about a dozen Liberal and National MP's and Senators who have since the 2001 TAMPA legislation shown increasing concerns for how asylum policies have created disastrous policies and a deleterious effect on the "recipients" of these policies - and several of them have expressed serious concerns with the proposed anti-terrorism legislation, and its undermining of internationally agreed conventions - including the "sedition laws" which in principle enable a complete shut-down of dissenting voices expressing criticism with the Howard government.
The only choice for us left is to urge these MPs and Senators to cross the floor of Parliament and with this act of dissent vote down the legislation.
We have just a little more than one working week to contact these MPs and Senators, asking them to oppose the passing of this legislation that has no place in a democracy. Before 28 November we'll need to write or fax them and follow this up with a phone call. The phone call needs to include a check where you can urgently reach this MP right now: at their electorate office or in their Parliament House office.
Dear (Name of MP or Senator),
I wish to lodge my opposition and concerns over the counter-terrorism laws currently being considered by both federal and state Governments. These laws remove important democratic rights and, in my view, constitute a surrender in the "war on terrorism". I condemn terror, but I also condemn these laws that compromise our basic human rights and our democracy.
I am opposed to these Terror Laws because:
As a loyal Australian citizen, I cannot support these laws. These laws compromise our rights to protest, to be presumed innocent until proven guilty, and to be charged in a court of law. I request you as my representative in the Government to represent my opposition to the Anti-Terrorism Bill 2005.
Yours sincerely,
Name and Address or Electorate
Editor's UPDATE: Petro Georgiou MP is no longer a member of the Australian Parliament. We have deleted his contact details.
Editor's UPDATE: Malcolm Turnbull MP's contact details have changed. We have deleted his previously posted details.
| Electorate Office: | Parliament House Office: |
| 3 Short Street Southport Qld 4215 PO Box 2040 Southport Qld 4215 Tel: (07) 5591 1011 Fax: (07) 5532 3187 |
House of Representatives Parliament House Canberra ACT 2600 Tel: (02) 6277 2330 Fax: (02) 6277 8452 |
| Email: | Steven.Ciobo.MP@aph.gov.au |
| Website: | https://www.aph.gov.au/S_Ciobo_MP? |
Editor's UPDATE: Judi Moylan MP is no longer a member of the Australian Parliament. We have deleted her contact details.
| Electorate Office: | Parliament House Office: |
| 10A Napier Street Warragul Vic 3820 Tel: (03) 5623 2064 Fax: (03) 5623 2509 |
House of Representatives Parliament House Canberra ACT 2600 Tel: (02) 6277 4233 Fax: (02) 6277 8485 |
| Email: | Russell.Broadbent.MP@aph.gov.au |
| Website: | https://www.aph.gov.au/R_Broadbent_MP |
Editor's UPDATE: Bruce Baird MP is no longer a member of the Australian Parliament. We have deleted his contact details.
Editor's UPDATE: Patrick Secker MP is no longer a member of the Australian Parliament. We have deleted his contact details.
Editor's UPDATE: Jackie Kelly MP is no longer a member of the Australian Parliament. We have deleted her contact details.
Editor's UPDATE: John Forrest MP is no longer a member of the Australian Parliament. We have deleted his contact details.
Editor's UPDATE: Kay Hull MP is no longer a member of the Australian Parliament. We have deleted her contact details.
| Electorate Office: | Parliament House Office: |
| 2-12 Macquarie Street Parramatta NSW 2150 PO Box CC18 Parramatta NSW 2123 Tel: (02) 9893 5151 Fax: (02) 9893 5150 |
Senate Wing, Parliament House Canberra ACT 2600 Tel: (02) 6277 3810 Fax: (02) 6277 3811 |
| Email: | senator.payne@aph.gov.au |
| Website: | https://www.aph.gov.au/Senator_Payne? |
Editor's UPDATE: Senator George Brandis is no longer a member of the Australian Parliament. We have deleted his contact details.
Editor's UPDATE: Senator Judith Troeth is no longer a member of the Australian Parliament. We have deleted her contact details.
| Electorate Office: | Parliament House Office: |
| 90 The Terrace St George QLD 4487 PO Box 628 St George QLD 4487 Tel: (07) 4625 1500 Fax: (07) 4625 1511 Toll Free: 1300 668 135 (Toll free number is only available in Queensland) |
Senate Wing, Parliament House Canberra ACT 2600 Tel: (02) 6277 3697 Fax: (02) 6277 5782 |
| Email: | senator.joyce@aph.gov.au |
| Website: | http://www.aph.gov.au/senate/senators/homepages/s-e5d.htm |
Editor's UPDATE: Senator Steven Fielding is no longer a member of the Australian Parliament. We have deleted his contact details.