Forget the fireworks inside Parliament House! Loud bangs are likely to be heard in Canberra over soon…but no-one’s saying where or when.
The Australian Defence Force plans to carry out counter-terrorism training in late August.
(Or, it could be, training for when the federal government calls out the troops: see CLA’s submission to the current Defence Call Out Bill, below). The proposed new law is a particularly power-seizing piece of legislation that flies in the face of one clause in the Australian Constitution.
The ADF said it was unable to provide further information about its practice assault on Canberra, including specific timings, to protect operational tactics, techniques and procedures.
“The public should not be alarmed if they see or hear military vehicles and military personnel carrying weapons and using blank gunfire and pyrotechnics,” the defence force said in a statement. “People who see the training should not be concerned that any of the locations are under any form of actual threat.” https://tinyurl.com/y8ll3dzn
That’s not all reassuring. It wasn’t before the challenge fireworks erupted inside the House: now, who knows whether a troop exercise will be for real, to defend the Executive?
The new troops call out law being considered by federal parliament could see the troops out on the streets of Australia at a moment’s notice, even in anticipation that something might go wrong, against the wishes of the states or territories, with troops able to stop, quiz, demand ID, arrest and detain you.