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Issue No. 287 | 28 October 2005 |
A Sick Set of Laws
Interview: Under Fire Politics: And the Winners Are ... Industrial: Un-Australian Economics: The Common Wealth History: Walking for Justice International: Deja Vu Legal: The Rights Stuff Review: That Cinderella Fella Poetry: Is Howard Kidding?
Johnny Fails Comprehension Test Dole Bludgeoning - Andrews Comes Clean Asbestos Giants Claw Back Compo
The Soapbox Postcard The Locker Room Parliament
PM's Fatal Flush Sign of the Times Labor's Love Lost
Labor Council of NSW |
News Terror Laws Strike Fear
"The very civil liberties we're trying to protect are being eroded by these laws," secretary, John Robertson, said. Robertson said it was not inconceivable that the Government could use draconian anti-terrorism laws, especially sedition provisions, to intervene in industrial disputes. He encouraged all unions to put out material on the implications of the terrorism laws for democracy and workplace rights. "It's like the WorkChoices legislation - what you see before you is not what it seems," he warned. The terror laws will be introduced to parliament in the same week that draconian anti-building worker legislation, to be policed by a special standing Commission, becomes effective. The "Building Industry Improvement Act" laws make all forms of industrial action unlawful, including safety and political campaigns, and green bans that have saved large blocks of urban environment. The Act gives an industry police force the power to interrogate workers about industrial meetings and denies workers the right to silence. Workers can be jailed or fined up to $33,000 if they fail to produce documents, answer questions. In striking similarity to anti-terrorism laws, John Howard's Building Industry Commission can instruct workers not to divulge the contents of any interrogation session to family or friends. CFMEU National Secretary John Sutton said contracting provisions amounted to enforcing the government's ideological agenda through blackmail. "Companies with established standards, companies who meet with their workforce, will be blacklisted by this crude policy," he said. "There's no doubt that this is becoming a neo-fascist government - some of this stuff is a straight denial of civil liberties and civil rights.
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