| Submit your comments on this article |
| Down Under |
| Australian leaders agree on new anti-terror laws |
| 2005-09-27 |
| THE nation's security would be boosted after state and territory leaders agreed to new counter-terrorism laws, which will be subject to review after five years, Prime Minister Minister John Howard said today. The meeting of the Council of Australian Governments (CoAG) meeting in Canberra today also agreed to a 10-year sunset clause, one of the safeguards sought by states and territories. "There has been unanimous agreement coming out of the meeting for major changes that will enhance the security of this country," Mr Howard said. Mr Howard said the Federal Government would provide $20 million to fund a chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear research facility to be established through the Australian Federal Police. It will sit alongside the existing Australian Bomb Data Centre which collates information on bomb incidents. "As part of this proposal we will establish throughout Australia a network of laboratories which will have the capacity to analyse chemical substances in the context of our counter-terrorism behaviour," he said. "In addition we are going to ask the national counter-terrorism committee, which is chaired by Duncan Lewis, the deputy secretary of my department, to commence work on developing a chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear strategy, bearing in mind the potential challenge of those agencies and properties in the terrorist environment." Mr Howard said the premiers had also endorsed recommendations from the recent Wheeler report into airport security. He said the premiers backed a plan by the Federal Government to set up a unified policing model at each of the 11 counter-terrorism first response airports across Australia. The Federal Government will fund full-time community policing teams made up of Australian Federal Police officers at each of the 11 airports. The officers will be under AFP commanders, who will be chosen by a panel made up of state and territory representatives. Mr Howard thanked the premiers and chief ministers for backing the Commonwealth's tough security upgrades. "We have agreed today on unusual laws for Australia, we have done that because we live in unusual circumstances," he said. "In other circumstances I would never have sought these additional powers, I would never have asked the premiers of the Australian states to support me in enacting these laws. "But we do live in very dangerous and different and threatening circumstances and a strong and comprehensive response is needed." Mr Howard said the states and territories had agreed to the Commonwealth's proposals in relation to control orders and preventative detention, which will require special legislation from the states. "We have agreed on a review of this legislation after five years and sunset clause after 10 years," he said. As well, Queensland's Public Interest Monitor would provide a check on the laws in that state. Mr Howard also won agreement on stop, search and question powers for police, as well as his other counter-terror initiatives, announced earlier this month. Mr Howard said the new powers were necessary to ensure all Australians were better protected from the threat of terrorism. "I cannot guarantee that Australia will not be the subject of a terrorist attack, no law can guarantee that," he said. "But I can say as a result of the decisions taken today that we are in a stronger and better position to give peace of mind to the Australian community, and that is our responsibility." Victorian Premier Steve Bracks said the new measures were needed to plug the current gaps in Australia's laws. He said state leaders were confident the new laws achieved the right balance, with adequate checks in place to protect civil liberties. "I'm very pleased in the framing of these new laws, that individual liberties of Australians and Victorians have been protected," Mr Bracks said. "Judicial oversight has been a principle which has been supported by the prime minister, the premier and the territory leaders, and there is complete judicial oversight over these new criminal sanctions which will be in place." New South Wales Premier Morris Iemma said the safeguards agreed to were important to better protect all Australians' way of life. "Our overriding responsibility is to protect our citizens, to better secure our citizens, and that's what today's outcome will do," Mr Iemma said. "At the same time, we've proven that it is possible to get tougher laws on terror and at the same time protect individual liberties. "We have a national agreement, a spirit of co-operation to have us with a set of laws that will better protect our citizens from the threat of terror and at the same time, protect individual rights." |
| Posted by:Oztralian [AKA] God Save The World |
| #1 This is going to piss off the muzzies big time. Howard is the only leader I know of that understands that the WOT is war against Jihad and by definition against muslims and their apologists, i.e. the looney left. |
| Posted by: tipper 2005-09-27 09:33 |