End of personal freedoms in Australia

 A shift towards a more authoritarian form of governance is becoming apparent to a broader section of the populace, as identified by Sydney-based social justice journalist PaulGregorie, writing for Sydney Criminal Lawyers.

He says “No longer are people blindly turning their heads away with carefree statements, such as, “I’ve got nothing to hide,” as they’ve become aware that surveillance laws have made such inroads into their private lives that they literally have nothing left to secret away.

The transformation of Australia into what many regard as a draconian society, has been facilitated by the bipartisan passing of over 90 pieces of national security/counterterrorism legislation since the 2001 9/11 attacks in New York.

Despite the stated target of these laws being terrorists – specifically those of the Islamic variety – local civil liberties advocates have long been warning that these laws are incrementally eroding the rights of all citizens and residents.

And the practical understanding that these laws can be turned on the general populace has really taken hold under the current Morrison government, as its term in office has been marked by raids on journalists, political prosecutions and a change to opaque rule.

The NSW Bureau of Crime Statistic and Research (BOCSAR) published its terrorism report in January last year, acknowledging that since 9/11 “there has been a considerable increase in the number of anti-terror laws” but a dearth of research on how they’ve been utilised.

The majority of the terror laws passed by Morrison’s government have been crafted by former home affairs minister Peter Dutton (now Defence Minister.


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