The federal parliament is reverting to type, with brawls and petulance dominating, rather than holding constructive debate about visions and options for Australia's future. When will they ever learn? With luck, the parliament will show it cares about equality at least by voting equal rights to Territorians. A wide range of 'new' bills are simply old ones re-introduced...but they contain some draconian new police powers, as the government continues to legislate in fear nearly a decade after the 9/11 Al Qaeda attacks on the other side of the world.

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Australia gets a new information, privacy and FOI regime from 1 November, which may be an improvement But ASIO will remain its secretive self, boasting about its through-put, but not acknowledging any mistakes, ever. As Australia becomes a more closed, surveilled society, the government has created 'Fuse Central', an eery control room and database where 'they' compile all the information they have on you.

Other topics covered in November include:

• Geotagging: beware of surveilling yourself;
• NSW A-G expands search and enter powers;
• bills of rights: the quest for liberty lives on;
• WA orders inquiry into stunning excess;
• Commonwealth law supremos to meet in Sydney;
• Newspaper urges readers to hang gays;
• police, prison officer numbers slashed to save money;
• top UK doctors support right to die law;
• US calls for dobbing in rights violators;
• leading newspaper says CIA acts as 'illegal assassin';
• 'Drug war' budget is out of control, report says; and
• airport body scan images used as porn entertainment.

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