Australians lose over rights

Australians have been denied the opportunity to restrict the power of the political elite by the Rudd Government’s failure to enact a national Bill of Rights, CLA says. Federal MPs who believe in individual rights should coalesce across political boundaries to ensure the Australian Parliament gets the opportunity to consider this important issue.

Australians lose over rights

Australians have lost a significant opportunity to regain rights back from parliamentarians by the failure of the Rudd Labor Government to introduce a a national Bill of Rights.

“Power is compressing into the hands of the few – PM Rudd, a few Ministers and a handful of faceless advisers,” Civil Liberties Australia President Dr Kristine Klugman said today (21/4/2010).

“As they condense power into their own hands, the rights of people are being lessened. A Bill of Rights would have reversed that trend.

“The Rudd Government is ignoring the strongest possible recommendations of a committee it set up, and riding roughshod over about 60,000 Australians who took the trouble to petition for a Bill of Rights.

“An undemocratic Executive is denying power to the people. This is a very retrograde step, and the loss of an historic opportunity,” she said.

CLA calls on the federal parliamentarians from all parties who believe there should be a national Bill of Rights to coalesce, across party boundaries, for the good of Australia and Australians.

“This issue is too important to go away: it’s time for MPs who believe in the rights of individuals over the rights of the political elite to act for the common good of all Australians.”