BY JAMES CAULFIELD

CANBERRA — People in the ACT could soon be faced with attacks on their civil liberties in the form of new “anti-terror” laws being put to the ACT Legislative Assembly. On December 10, a new bill will be debated by the assembly.

The current wording of parts of the amendments indicates that activists could be prosecuted under the new laws. The most worrying aspect is the creation of the new terrorist offence of “sabotage”.

The offence includes causing damage to a public facility by committing a property offence or by causing an unauthorised computer function with the intention of causing major disruption to government functions or major disruption to the use of services by the public or major economic loss. It carries a maximum penalty of 25 years’ imprisonment and/or a $250,000 fine.

There is no exemption, unlike in the federal legislation passed earlier this year, for “lawful” advocacy and industrial action. Terms such as “property offence” are not defined.

It is conceivable that something like blocking a road, as often happens at rallies, could be seen as causing “major disruption to the use of services by the public”.

Not only is “sabotage” an offence under the bill, but even just threatening “sabotage” is. It is not necessary to prove that the threatened person actually feared that the threat would be carried out.

At the moment it seems likely the amendments will be passed on the legislation, although how serious those amendments will be is not clear. Objections to the bill can be sent to Jon Stanhope, the ACT chief minister and attorney-general at <stanhope@act.gov.au>.

From Green Left Weekly, December 4, 2002.
Visit the Green Left Weekly home page.

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