A "specific" terror threat, but not specific enough to cause any change in Australia's official threat level. But the government does have some civil-liberties-stomping legislation it needs to rush through Parliament without sufficient oversight, and major public opposition to its industrial relations "reforms". Which makes it all seem just a little... convenient.
Update: More and more suspicious: Australian officials have told the NZ government that everything's just fine, and Australia is not under imminent threat of attack. So why all the fuss?
The behavioural pattern of Bush, Blair and Howard is obvious. They use fear to entrench themselves further and further into power and they use fear to corrode the civil liberties of us all.
ReplyDeleteDon't forget that on Monday night's telly David Hick's - the only westerner not rescued from Guantanamo Bay by his government - father was saying Hicks had been tortured and sexually abused. HIck's lawyers say the Aussie govt did know and didn't investigate.
ReplyDeleteConvenienter and convenienter.
I'm curious to know what these amendments will actually do. And in what circumstances they would help prevent anything.
This whole trend is becoming a bit of a worry.Howard is obviously on a personal power trip and the general lack of concern from the public is a bit worrying.
ReplyDeleteAs Ben Franklin said, 200+ yrs ago "· They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty or safety..."
Too convenient by half. Can anyone say "children in the water"? The Howard government has an established history of massaging the facts to suit themselves.
ReplyDeleteThis morning in Australia John Howard poured scorn on those who suggested he (or any of his cabinet) would lie about the security of the nation for political benefit. The ABC quotes him saying "This idea that it was all manipulated timing is ridiculous", adding his claim that members of ASIO, the Federal Police and various other offices would all have to be part of a conspiracy if it were true. Good point? The "Children Overboard" affair (November, 2001) demonstrated very clearly that Howard can and will manipulate the media AND the media freedom of government employees, not for ever, maybe, but for long enough to achieve the what he wants (win an election, force through 18th Century labour laws, and lock me up for writing this!).
ReplyDeleteAnd isn't it astonishing that the police (presumably) managed to uncover this dastardly threat even without the new all-singing all-dancing urgently-needed anti-terror legislation. Even if the threat is real, the timing is just too nice.
ReplyDeleteHmmm, can he lock me up too? Better edit the profile eh?
the train our Howie has hitched himself to may be in the process of derailing.. lets hope he fails to unshackle his carriage before it does..
ReplyDeleteFrom The Age:
ReplyDelete"I would be very surprised if any of the police or intelligence services would be very happy with this becoming public knowledge," he said. "They know the media is going to go crazy. I can't think of anything other than politics that inspired it."
Apparently it may have stuffed up a year-long investigation.