The way Australia gets new laws is changing, CLA says, because the Standing Committee of Attorneys-General has become an executive authority instead of a consultative forum. The result is that we get the worst-possible (lowest common denominator) leg…
CLA is anticipating a positive report from the current national human rights consultation…and is planning how to lock in better ongoing protection for the liberties and rights of Australians as part of the nation’s foundation documents. A meeting i…
The first of the national consultations got under way last month, examining what civil liberties and human rights Australians should have. CLA was there, and you can read what we thought of the inaugural meeting (thre’s a link to when upcoming meetings w…
CLA released its four Australia Day letters last month, just as new came of a one-month’s delay in the national consultation on human rights at the request of its chairman, Father Frank Brennan. One of CLA’s OzDay letters asks the PM to establish a…
The Rudd Government has promised to get rid of Australia’s anachronistic sedition laws…again. In December, Attorney-General Robert McClelland flagged he would issue a ‘consultation paper’ by 30 June, and that legislation in parliament would follow.…
CLA has launched a campaign to stop the Rudd Government imposting mandatoring internet filtering – censorship – on adult Australians’ access to the internet. The campaign consists of a new website – http://www.censorfree.com.au/ – and a series of eve…
As the Australian Government gets ready to censor the internet, CLA is fighting back with ‘Action Email Cells’ – groups to take the fight to the government. (See Home page article, and lead story in newsletter).Meanwhile the November newsletter a…
The debate about whether Australia should have a national Charter of Rights and Responsibilities will launch on 10 December, international Human Rights Day. It is hoped that the Prime Minister, Mr Rudd, will throw his weight behind the program to indicat…
Harmonising laws throughout Australia – even including New Zealand – will be a focus for next year. As part of the move, CLA’s campaign for matched medical directive regimes may well come to fruition. Queensland’s Public Interest Monitor could be copi…
CLA’s new TV advertisement, as well as a half-hour radio program, are coming closer to fruition, and are likely to be ready for launch this month. As well as these internal ‘production’ issues, CLA is building a cross-party coalition to introduce a priva…