ALP condemned on Anti-Terrorism Bill stance

by Angelo Gavrielatos

The ALP stands condemned for having failed to show leadership in opposition to the Howard Government's proposed Anti-Terrorism Bill which represents one of the most serious attacks on civil liberties ever seen in the history of this nation.

Potentially contravening a number of international declarations and covenants, to which Australia is a signatory, the proposed laws of sedition eroding freedom of speech and detention without charge bear the hallmarks of fascism.

Incapable and/or unwilling to show leadership, the actions of the ALP are reminiscent of the confusion and lack of leadership evidenced during the period surrounding the 2001 election, with respect to asylum seeker and refugee policies. The ALP has yet again been confounded by a mix of mimicry, media genuflection and leadership contestation.

It is incumbent upon us to continue to loudly demonstrate against laws which represent and attack a civil society and our civil liberties.

In the words of the famous poem attributed to Pastor Martin Niemoller, imprisoned by the Nazis:

First they came for the communists,
I did not speak out
because I was not a communist.
When they came for the social democrats,
I did not speak out
because I was not a social democrat.
When they came for the trade unionists
I did not speak out
because I was not a trade unionist.
When they came for the Jews
I did not speak out
because I was not a Jew;
And when they came for me,
there was no one left to speak out

Angelo Gavrielatos is the Senior Vice President.

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Last Modified: 17 Nov 2005