The Editor, Canberra Times: So much for democratic rights (‘Hundreds could face deportation under proposed terror laws: Peter Dutton’, Canberra Times, June 5th). Out goes the rule of law: the presumption of innocence, the right to a fair trial, the right to confront one’s accuser – all replaced by a presumption of guilt by secret police & arbitrary punishment meted-out by executive diktat. And all of this to serve the corrupt political interests of the most dangerous government & unprincipled Opposition this country has ever had the misfortune to endure, whilst shamelessly debasing the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
While Prime Minister Tony Abbott claims that the “terrorists hate us for who we are”, many others would argue that they hate us for what we have become.
John Richardson, CLA member, Wallagoot NSW
Hear, hear. Although the latest version has changed a little, we will now end up with 2 classes of citizens in this country. The same crime attracting different punishments. Gone is the notion of all being equal before the law. How sad is that?