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General Discussion >> Federal Politics >> The ignorance of our lawmakers to their own laws
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Message started by gandalf on Oct 17th, 2014 at 8:46am

Title: The ignorance of our lawmakers to their own laws
Post by gandalf on Oct 17th, 2014 at 8:46am
Quite terrifying really for something so fundamental as our freedoms - but at least they have been exposed. This is both parties I'm talking about - rubber stamping some pretty serious attacks to our freedoms without having a clue what they are.


Quote:
KELLY O'DWYER (responding to comments by Greg Sheridan on the new s35P of the ASIO Act, which makes it an offence to disclose information relating to a special intelligence operation):

It applies to anybody who recklessly or deliberately discloses a special intelligence operation and there are some protections in place, Tony. The protections that are put in place are that we have the same whistleblower provisions that are in existence for intelligence organisations. It is oversighted by the Inspector-General of Intelligence and Security.
Untrue. The whistleblower protections have no application here and do not protect a journalist or anyone else who makes a disclosure caught by s35P.  Further, the existence of special intelligence operations are required to be reported to the Inspector-General, but he or she has no oversight function in respect of them and no role to play regarding s35P.



Quote:
KATE ELLIS (on s35P):

Because when Greg said this is about preventing a Snowden case and covering up secrets, that's rubbish.
Untrue. Any journalist or anyone else who published information leaked by Snowden, if it related to a special intelligence operation, would almost certainly commit an offence under s35P.

KATE ELLIS (on s35P):

It means that under the laws now you cannot be prosecuted for inadvertently revealing this. You have to actually recognise that there is a real risk and that an ASIO officer's life could be in jeopardy as a result of it and you have to decide to do it anyway.
Untrue. Section 35P says nothing of the sort, there is no requirement that anyone's life is in jeopardy for the offence to be committed. This one is just fiction.


and the real sucker-punch:

Kelly ODwyer trying to explain away the words ""add, copy, delete or alter [data on any computer or device it is monitoring]".


Quote:
KELLY O'DWYER:

Well, we have a difference of opinion but it has been properly oversighted. There has been an inquiry that's actually looked...
TONY JONES:

But you still haven't explained those words?
KELLY O'DWYER:

Yes, well, I...
JULIAN BURNSIDE:

She didn't know they were there and the premise is right.


zing! - Julian Burnside nailed it.

This would be comical if it wasn't so scary.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-10-16/bradley-national-security-laws-ignorance/5819290

Title: Re: The ignorance of our lawmakers to their own laws
Post by Soren on Oct 17th, 2014 at 9:41am
Secret intelligence operations should be kept... er.... secret. How very outrageous.


Title: Re: The ignorance of our lawmakers to their own laws
Post by salad in on Oct 17th, 2014 at 6:29pm
Once again Australians are being punished. Our gov'ts pushed ahead with muslim immigration and this is what we're stuck with. Our parents warned about the stupidity of this 40 years ago but they were ignored. Now because of muslims we're being punished again via the curtailment of certain freedoms. What a phuking mess.

Title: Re: The ignorance of our lawmakers to their own laws
Post by Team Knight Errant Grappler on Oct 17th, 2014 at 11:45pm
There is nothing ignorant about lawmakers and the legislation they create (read my assertion on the very real differences between legislation, law and Law, and also policy - essentially the only binding one is Law)..

These 'lawmakers' set up these 'laws' for their own benefit or ideological stance, and never consider.. with a lot of justification.. that such 'laws' will ever affect them personally.  In effect, they believe that their position places them above law - a proposition clearly supported by the endless parade of wrong-doers through ICAC and the courts, both politicians and other who manage to get their hands on other people's money.

They suffer the delusion that, having Divine Right like some feudal king, they are above such common issues as laws and common decency, and can do what they like with what they want.....

It's a form of mental illness in politicians.....

Title: Re: The ignorance of our lawmakers to their own laws
Post by Brian Ross on Oct 18th, 2014 at 1:06am

Soren wrote on Oct 17th, 2014 at 9:41am:
Secret intelligence operations should be kept... er.... secret. How very outrageous.


To a point.  What if those "secret intelligence operations" are breaking the law, Soren?  You know, engaging in say, torture?  Murder?  Defamation?  Lying to Parliament?   You don't think the ultimate arbiters, the public have a right to know what is supposedly being done in their name?

Do you remember this event, Soren?   Were you even aware of it?   It happened when ASIO believed it was both above the law and not beholden to the law makers or even the legally elected Government of the day.

ASIO, spying on Australians for 50 years.  The chief qualification to be an ASIO officer used to be "ex-British Army, had own push bike."    ::)






Title: Re: The ignorance of our lawmakers to their own laws
Post by Setanta on Oct 18th, 2014 at 1:34am

Brian Ross wrote on Oct 18th, 2014 at 1:06am:

Soren wrote on Oct 17th, 2014 at 9:41am:
Secret intelligence operations should be kept... er.... secret. How very outrageous.


To a point.  What if those "secret intelligence operations" are breaking the law, Soren?  You know, engaging in say, torture?  Murder?  Defamation?  Lying to Parliament?   You don't think the ultimate arbiters, the public have a right to know what is supposedly being done in their name?

Do you remember this event, Soren?   Were you even aware of it?   It happened when ASIO believed it was both above the law and not beholden to the law makers or even the legally elected Government of the day.

ASIO, spying on Australians for 50 years.  The chief qualification to be an ASIO officer used to be "ex-British Army, had own push bike."    ::)


Interesting read Brian. I should remember that, but I don't, thanks for the refresher. Do you know of any investigations into the right or fascist groups by ASIO etc? It always seems they are displeased with the people having a voice or voicing concerns on how they operate or what they are doing, be they govt or security services.

Title: Re: The ignorance of our lawmakers to their own laws
Post by Armchair_Politician on Oct 18th, 2014 at 5:34am

Brian Ross wrote on Oct 18th, 2014 at 1:06am:

Soren wrote on Oct 17th, 2014 at 9:41am:
Secret intelligence operations should be kept... er.... secret. How very outrageous.


To a point.  What if those "secret intelligence operations" are breaking the law, Soren?  You know, engaging in say, torture?  Murder?  Defamation?  Lying to Parliament?   You don't think the ultimate arbiters, the public have a right to know what is supposedly being done in their name?

Do you remember this event, Soren?   Were you even aware of it?   It happened when ASIO believed it was both above the law and not beholden to the law makers or even the legally elected Government of the day.

ASIO, spying on Australians for 50 years.  The chief qualification to be an ASIO officer used to be "ex-British Army, had own push bike."    ::)


ASIOs recently expanded powers were approved in parliament only after adding a clause specifically outlawing torture.

Title: Re: The ignorance of our lawmakers to their own laws
Post by Armchair_Politician on Oct 18th, 2014 at 5:41am

Brian Ross wrote on Oct 18th, 2014 at 1:06am:

Soren wrote on Oct 17th, 2014 at 9:41am:
Secret intelligence operations should be kept... er.... secret. How very outrageous.


To a point.  What if those "secret intelligence operations" are breaking the law, Soren?  You know, engaging in say, torture?  Murder?  Defamation?  Lying to Parliament?   You don't think the ultimate arbiters, the public have a right to know what is supposedly being done in their name?

Do you remember this event, Soren?   Were you even aware of it?   It happened when ASIO believed it was both above the law and not beholden to the law makers or even the legally elected Government of the day.

ASIO, spying on Australians for 50 years.  The chief qualification to be an ASIO officer used to be "ex-British Army, had own push bike."    ::)


"In one sense the Murphy raid was a failure, as he did not find evidence that ASIO had been hiding information from him."

The raid found ASIOS wasn't hiding anything and there was no threat except in Murphy's imagination.

Title: Re: The ignorance of our lawmakers to their own laws
Post by Dame Pansi on Oct 18th, 2014 at 6:32am
Burnside is right.........if it wasn't so scary it would be hilarious. When the mentally ill are running the asylum......bizarre!!!! BOTR!

And now one from mama England.

Silly people. Why not simply cancel their passports, but that wouldn't do much for the war effort, would it? Those jihadists would meld into the Iraqi population and disappear and we can't have that.

UK confronts terror surge, resurrects medieval treason law to charge Brits

Meanwhile, the UK’s Foreign Secretary said that British jihadis who travel to Iraq or Syria to fight with IS, and pledge their allegiance to the terror group, could be tried for treason.

In order to do this, Britain may resurrect a medieval law dating back to 1351, Hammond said.

Any British citizen who has sworn personal allegiance to the Islamic State could have committed an offence under the Treason Act of 1351, which was passed during the reign of King Edward III, he said.

http://rt.com/uk/196772-extremist-attack-rowley-isis/

Title: Re: The ignorance of our lawmakers to their own laws
Post by Sir Bobby on Oct 18th, 2014 at 6:39am

Quote:
Kelly ODwyer trying to explain away the words ""add, copy, delete or alter [data on any computer or device it is monitoring]".



This means that the Govt. could plant false evidence on someone's computer
& then use that to convict them of something they never did.

Surely - this has to be tested in the high court.

Title: Re: The ignorance of our lawmakers to their own laws
Post by longweekend58 on Oct 18th, 2014 at 8:54am

Bobby. wrote on Oct 18th, 2014 at 6:39am:

Quote:
Kelly ODwyer trying to explain away the words ""add, copy, delete or alter [data on any computer or device it is monitoring]".



This means that the Govt. could plant false evidence on someone's computer
& then use that to convict them of something they never did.

Surely - this has to be tested in the high court.

edit  What exactly prevents cops from doing just that right now?  planting go false evidence goes on and we all know it.  Hopefully not too much.  but it is against the law and remains so.

Title: Re: The ignorance of our lawmakers to their own laws
Post by Team Knight Errant Grappler on Oct 18th, 2014 at 9:59am
Gentlemen - there are NO protections against false planting.

One of the objections I raised to the DNA sampling issue was that, regardless of how many alleged 'hedges' governments put around it, it only required a corrupt officer to plant, say, a used tissue from a suspect's home at a crime scene  for 'evidence' to suddenly be created of his/her presence at that scene.

We all know, as well, how such corrupt persons will become close and pally.. bedfellows so to speak .. with any who work on behalf of the crime process.   I mean, they're all on the same side, aren't they?  So it is not beyond the realm of probability that a person analysing samples could be asked by a 'mate' to test some sample, and that sample substituted...

The whole deal is far too full  of holes.

As for lawmakers in general, they lose sight very quickly of the simple fact that they are not entitled (sic) to create 'laws' that themselves do not accord with the rule of law.... something they do all the time on the false assumption that their voting on some abrogation of The Rule of Law somehow makes that abrogation Legal....

A full review of current legislation and the current approach of courts to legislation is mandated at this time to cut out all and any chance of any false conviction or unwarranted conviction on some nonsense 'law'.

More difficult is to get around the Nazi police approach of 'befehlen ist befehlen' as employed in the oath of office of police officers to 'uphold the law as written' - a defence that failed at Nuremburg......

"I was only following orders"......

Title: Re: The ignorance of our lawmakers to their own laws
Post by Sir Bobby on Oct 18th, 2014 at 10:27am

longweekend58 wrote on Oct 18th, 2014 at 8:54am:

Bobby. wrote on Oct 18th, 2014 at 6:39am:

Quote:
Kelly ODwyer trying to explain away the words ""add, copy, delete or alter [data on any computer or device it is monitoring]".



This means that the Govt. could plant false evidence on someone's computer
& then use that to convict them of something they never did.

Surely - this has to be tested in the high court.

edit  What exactly prevents cops from doing just that right now?  planting go false evidence goes on and we all know it.  Hopefully not too much.  but it is against the law and remains so.



Then - what worries me is that someone who may be a terrorist
could get off legitimate charges by saying the Govt. planted evidence.
The law now allows the Govt. to plant evidence.

This new law has put our national security in jeopardy.

Who was the "genius" who thought that one up?

Title: Re: The ignorance of our lawmakers to their own laws
Post by longweekend58 on Oct 18th, 2014 at 10:29am

Grappler Deep State Feller wrote on Oct 18th, 2014 at 9:59am:
Gentlemen - there are NO protections against false planting.

One of the objections I raised to the DNA sampling issue was that, regardless of how many alleged 'hedges' governments put around it, it only required a corrupt officer to plant, say, a used tissue from a suspect's home at a crime scene  for 'evidence' to suddenly be created of his/her presence at that scene.

We all know, as well, how such corrupt persons will become close and pally.. bedfellows so to speak .. with any who work on behalf of the crime process.   I mean, they're all on the same side, aren't they?  So it is not beyond the realm of probability that a person analysing samples could be asked by a 'mate' to test some sample, and that sample substituted...

The whole deal is far too full  of holes.

As for lawmakers in general, they lose sight very quickly of the simple fact that they are not entitled (sic) to create 'laws' that themselves do not accord with the rule of law.... something they do all the time on the false assumption that their voting on some abrogation of The Rule of Law somehow makes that abrogation Legal....

A full review of current legislation and the current approach of courts to legislation is mandated at this time to cut out all and any chance of any false conviction or unwarranted conviction on some nonsense 'law'.

More difficult is to get around the Nazi police approach of 'befehlen ist befehlen' as employed in the oath of office of police officers to 'uphold the law as written' - a defence that failed at Nuremburg......

"I was only following orders"......


there is a higher authority than 'orders' and that is what Nuremberg was about

Title: Re: The ignorance of our lawmakers to their own laws
Post by Team Knight Errant Grappler on Oct 18th, 2014 at 11:05am
Yes, indeed - we see eye to eye on that.

Title: Re: The ignorance of our lawmakers to their own laws
Post by Team Knight Errant Grappler on Oct 19th, 2014 at 2:19am

Armchair_Politician wrote on Oct 18th, 2014 at 5:34am:

Brian Ross wrote on Oct 18th, 2014 at 1:06am:

Soren wrote on Oct 17th, 2014 at 9:41am:
Secret intelligence operations should be kept... er.... secret. How very outrageous.


To a point.  What if those "secret intelligence operations" are breaking the law, Soren?  You know, engaging in say, torture?  Murder?  Defamation?  Lying to Parliament?   You don't think the ultimate arbiters, the public have a right to know what is supposedly being done in their name?

Do you remember this event, Soren?   Were you even aware of it?   It happened when ASIO believed it was both above the law and not beholden to the law makers or even the legally elected Government of the day.

ASIO, spying on Australians for 50 years.  The chief qualification to be an ASIO officer used to be "ex-British Army, had own push bike."    ::)


ASIOs recently expanded powers were approved in parliament only after adding a clause specifically outlawing torture.


And you will accept without question in any future event a statement to the effect that this did not happen?

Ah... grasshopper......... truly it is wise to not turn over rocks too strenuously at times...

Title: Re: The ignorance of our lawmakers to their own laws
Post by Team Knight Errant Grappler on Oct 19th, 2014 at 2:23am

Grappler Deep State Feller wrote on Oct 18th, 2014 at 9:59am:
Gentlemen - there are NO protections against false planting.

One of the objections I raised to the DNA sampling issue was that, regardless of how many alleged 'hedges' governments put around it, it only required a corrupt officer to plant, say, a used tissue from a suspect's home at a crime scene  for 'evidence' to suddenly be created of his/her presence at that scene.

We all know, as well, how such corrupt persons will become close and pally.. bedfellows so to speak .. with any who work on behalf of the crime process.   I mean, they're all on the same side, aren't they?  So it is not beyond the realm of probability that a person analysing samples could be asked by a 'mate' to test some sample, and that sample substituted...

The whole deal is far too full  of holes.

ADDS:-  For Shaitan's sake.. we've seen sworn prison officers helping criminals escape..... how hard is it to see that a copper shagging a sample tester would be able to enveigle that tester to do something dirty?

As for lawmakers in general, they lose sight very quickly of the simple fact that they are not entitled (sic) to create 'laws' that themselves do not accord with the rule of law.... something they do all the time on the false assumption that their voting on some abrogation of The Rule of Law somehow makes that abrogation Legal....

A full review of current legislation and the current approach of courts to legislation is mandated at this time to cut out all and any chance of any false conviction or unwarranted conviction on some nonsense 'law'.

More difficult is to get around the Nazi police approach of 'befehlen ist befehlen' as employed in the oath of office of police officers to 'uphold the law as written' - a defence that failed at Nuremburg......

"I was only following orders"......


Title: Re: The ignorance of our lawmakers to their own laws
Post by mantra on Oct 19th, 2014 at 6:04am

Grappler Deep State Feller wrote on Oct 17th, 2014 at 11:45pm:
There is nothing ignorant about lawmakers and the legislation they create (read my assertion on the very real differences between legislation, law and Law, and also policy - essentially the only binding one is Law)..

These 'lawmakers' set up these 'laws' for their own benefit or ideological stance, and never consider.. with a lot of justification.. that such 'laws' will ever affect them personally.  In effect, they believe that their position places them above law - a proposition clearly supported by the endless parade of wrong-doers through ICAC and the courts, both politicians and other who manage to get their hands on other people's money.

They suffer the delusion that, having Divine Right like some feudal king, they are above such common issues as laws and common decency, and can do what they like with what they want.....

It's a form of mental illness in politicians.....


True. Most of our politicians are such weasels that they would have difficulty getting a job in private enterprise, yet they're given open slather to change the face of this country. Abbott is probably the worst PM we've seen yet. He is too impulsive and is leaving a trail of disillusionment and destruction behind him.

Title: Re: The ignorance of our lawmakers to their own laws
Post by Sir Bobby on Oct 19th, 2014 at 7:53am

mantra wrote on Oct 19th, 2014 at 6:04am:

Grappler Deep State Feller wrote on Oct 17th, 2014 at 11:45pm:
There is nothing ignorant about lawmakers and the legislation they create (read my assertion on the very real differences between legislation, law and Law, and also policy - essentially the only binding one is Law)..

These 'lawmakers' set up these 'laws' for their own benefit or ideological stance, and never consider.. with a lot of justification.. that such 'laws' will ever affect them personally.  In effect, they believe that their position places them above law - a proposition clearly supported by the endless parade of wrong-doers through ICAC and the courts, both politicians and other who manage to get their hands on other people's money.

They suffer the delusion that, having Divine Right like some feudal king, they are above such common issues as laws and common decency, and can do what they like with what they want.....

It's a form of mental illness in politicians.....


True. Most of our politicians are such weasels that they would have difficulty getting a job in private enterprise, yet they're given open slather to change the face of this country. Abbott is probably the worst PM we've seen yet. He is too impulsive and is leaving a trail of disillusionment and destruction behind him.



God help us:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rLLN-Yum2wE

Title: Re: The ignorance of our lawmakers to their own laws
Post by Dnarever on Oct 19th, 2014 at 9:09am

longweekend58 wrote on Oct 18th, 2014 at 8:54am:

Bobby. wrote on Oct 18th, 2014 at 6:39am:

Quote:
Kelly ODwyer trying to explain away the words ""add, copy, delete or alter [data on any computer or device it is monitoring]".



This means that the Govt. could plant false evidence on someone's computer
& then use that to convict them of something they never did.

Surely - this has to be tested in the high court.

edit  What exactly prevents cops from doing just that right now?  planting go false evidence goes on and we all know it.  Hopefully not too much.  but it is against the law and remains so.


This potentially makes it legal to do it, there is a difference.

Title: Re: The ignorance of our lawmakers to their own laws
Post by Dnarever on Oct 19th, 2014 at 9:11am

Soren wrote on Oct 17th, 2014 at 9:41am:
Secret intelligence operations should be kept... er.... secret. How very outrageous.


This applies to anything marked as a special intelligence operation. It could be anything they don't want anyone to know about for any reason, this is not specifically secret operations and it applies forever.

Still needs to be secret 50 years later  or up to 10 years in prison.

Had the story of Mata Hari been subject to this Law in her country you could be imprisoned for up to ten years for telling the story today. This is clearly ridiculous as is the law.

Title: Re: The ignorance of our lawmakers to their own laws
Post by Bam on Oct 19th, 2014 at 10:30am

Armchair_Politician wrote on Oct 18th, 2014 at 5:41am:

Brian Ross wrote on Oct 18th, 2014 at 1:06am:
Do you remember this event, Soren?   Were you even aware of it?   It happened when ASIO believed it was both above the law and not beholden to the law makers or even the legally elected Government of the day.

"In one sense the Murphy raid was a failure, as he did not find evidence that ASIO had been hiding information from him."

The raid found ASIOS wasn't hiding anything and there was no threat except in Murphy's imagination.

You're quoting out of context again.


Quote:
The Murphy raid also marked one of the first times an Australian government regarded terrorism as a major security issue. In one sense the Murphy raid was a failure, as he did not find evidence that ASIO had been hiding information from him. However, he did find something damning.

What he found was that ASIO had little information on the Ustasha threat at all. This confirmed public perceptions that ASIO was neglecting a key security issue. There had been a surge of Ustasha bombings in Melbourne, Sydney, Canberra and Brisbane during 1972 (which injured people and damaged property but fortunately cause no deaths) and the authorities appeared helpless. An editorial in the Sydney Mirror asked:

“Just what does the Australian and [sic] Security Intelligence  Organisation actually do?… At enormous expense ASIO screens migrants. At enormous expense it operates a network of spies and informers from its ugly, but expensive, headquarters in one of the choice parts of Sydney, Kirribilli. They’re a dab hand at tagging woolly academics; they’re adept at keeping an ear to the nations campuses. But when terrorists explode bombs in Sydney, ASIO hasn’t a clue”

In the proper context, it is obvious that the Murphy raid happened because the Whitlam Government were one of the first Australian governments to take the threat of terrorism seriously, in a time when ASIO were still run by Menzies-era cold war appointments more obsessed with communism. It was a damning indictment against ASIO when there were bombings happening in Australia and ASIO were caught out not taking this terrorism threat seriously.

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