LABOR HAS EXPANDED ASIO'S CHILLING COERCIVE DETENTION POWERS.
Labor and the Coalition have teamed up to pass laws that expand ASIO’s coercive questioning powers to target the pro-Palestine movement. We know these changes will be used against those who protest and dissent against Government policy.
These powers allow ASIO to secretly detain people who have committed no crime, force them to answer questions under threat of imprisonment, and deny them the right to silence.
They were first introduced as a temporary measure after the attacks on September 11. The major parties tried to make these powers permanent but we fought them to restore the “sunset clause”.
However, it’s clear from their actions that they don’t ever intend to allow these laws to lapse.
In 2003, Anthony Albanese called laws like these "without precedent in Australia's post Second World War legal history." He warned they could suppress dissent and detain innocent Australians. He was right then.
Now, as Prime Minister, he has expanded them to be more chilling than ever.
We will keep fighting these unjust laws and we need you to join us on this campaign.
These laws that empower secretive ASIO detention without charge or even suspicion of an offence must be removed from the statute books.