Opinion Archives Page 2 of 82 - Civil Liberties Australia

Bike-riding equation comes out negative?

4 January 2024 9 June 2026

Much-ballyhoed bike ’safety’ claims look somewhat different when subjected to a ‘whole-of-life(style)’ analysis by dedicated research Colin Clarke. Do helmets lead to immobility and obesity, at a greater cost to public health than accepting accidents will happen whenever you poke your nose into the great outdoors? Why have $15 fines become $240 (when they should be about $35) and become a new way for police abuse by selecting poor citizens for harassment?

Australia poised to do the right thing?

12 October 2023 9 June 2026

Is the ‘notorious nation’ set to finally do the right thing, and protect its citizens with a Human Rights Act? Journalist Paul Gregoire examines the current situation and 2024-25 prospects for a ‘bill of rights’ that includes accessible, consistent and clear remedies for any breaches by bureaucrats.

Security czars grab more power over spooks

20 September 2023 20 September 2023

The security czars are playing fast and loose with the spook agencies – and, of course, the Australian people – in a power play occurring around the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security. The end result could be more and deeper secrets kept, less public transparency, writes Paul Gregoire.

Oz needs dedicated wrongful convictions body

1 September 2023 1 September 2023

Each month produces new stories of judicial errors, forensics misunderstandings, and failures-to-disclose by police and DPPs which amount to a log of systemic errors leading to wrongful convictions. Throughout Australia, there’s a growing call for a Criminal Cases Review Commission. Academics Hamer and Dyer explain the issues.

National digital ID to fail as before: Clarke

20 June 2023 20 June 2023

The newest attempt to put your id on the skids and turn your ego into a moniker to sigh for, aka your National Identity Profile, is likely to launch this year. Reportedly Finance Minister Katy Gallagher is readying your cyborg number for tattooing: will you stand up and be counted? Do we combine to nip in the bud this bid to perpetuate Anthony ‘Albo’ Albanese as Aussie 0000000001? Prof Roger Clarke opines.

Behind the secrecy in Bernard Collaery case

26 September 2022 26 September 2022

What was so secret about the Bernard Collaery and Witness K case? It couldn’t have been the bugging of the East Timorese Cabinet rooms, as that was well known. Perhaps it was deeper and longer-term spying on who the East Timorese leaders were planning to throw their lot in with, over suspicions of Chinese influence of concern to Australia 20 years ago, Dr Richie Gun surmises.