It’s a sorry choice facing liberties and rights people as Australia heads into the 2010 election. Three years of Labor have been disappointing, but the Liberals are unlikely to offer improvement. Meanwhile, unnoticed, the Senate is still operating and is continuing with a select committee inquiring into ‘Reform of the Australian Constitution’ that could change the shape of Australia’s democracy and how we are all governed.
Read how CLA has saved the Wiggles and Playschool, and also helped to safeguard free speech as the result of submissions to parliamentary committees. But prospects in general in Australia are nowhere near as promising as in the UK, where a new government has committed to ending the ‘Big Brother’ attitude of the past decade.
Other topics covered in August include:
- Government spends nearly $18m on airport police dog patrols;
- Paroled Palm Island man sentenced to silence;
- Another challenge over bikie laws goes to the High Court;
- Cost of one police officer: $212,500 a year;
- Asia-Pacific to get a forum for restorative justice;
- Dubai air hub says ‘no’ to see-through body scanners;
- Gay couples gain marriage rights in South America
- NZ uses stun guns on the mentally ill;
- Policeman guilty over death caused by stun gun/pistol mix-up; and
- Germany backs rights to free will on euthanasia.
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