In an unprecedented move on the first working day following the May 3 poll, the government led by Albanese Labor moved new legal provisions to make permanent and significantly amplify the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation’s (ASIO) mandatory questioning powers. The reforms were launched without any public announcement beforehand, and they were not a topic of discussion in the election campaign. Most of the media outlets have scarcely covered the two bills that Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke submitted earlier this week. As far as possible, citizens are being kept unaware of this alarming progression.
Back in 2003, during the perceived ‘war on terrorism,’ ASIO was initially granted powers to compulsively interrogate individuals. The current amendments to the ASIO Act by the Labor government aim to extend and enhance these abilities indefinitely. The primary legislation seeks to abolish a ‘sunset’ clause that was supposed to terminate these powers on September 7.
The secondary legislation not only seeks to eliminate ‘sunset’ clauses completely, rendering these powers everlasting but also attempts to broaden the regulations to encompass four new areas related to war. Particularly, the power to forcefully interview individuals aged as low as 14 for extended periods, even up to 24 hours, with pauses during ‘questioning time.’ Moreover, individuals will be compelled to offer ‘information,’ such as documents or other evidence supposedly linked to four extra subjects: sabotage, inciting communal violence, attacking defense facilities, and posing threats to national border security.
This comes on top of three additional interrogation domains, besides ‘terrorism,’ that were incorporated into ASIO’s jurisdiction by the previous Morrison Liberal-National Coalition government in 2020, which Labor backed: Espionage, foreign interference, and politically-motivated violence. These cover any political venture that the government and ASIO determine as ‘extremist, or associated with a ‘foreign’ or global organization.
ASIO, under the current Act, can easily avail warrants, even verbal ones, from the attorney-general, in order to interview a person to gather ‘information’ that would ‘substantially assist the collection of intelligence.’ No formal charge or even insinuation of a criminal act is necessary. Anyone who fails to comply, provides incorrect information, or refuses to submit requested materials could face up to a five-year prison term.
Another potential five-year incarceration awaits those who undergo interrogation but reveal any details of the process to anyone other than an ASIO-approved lawyer within a span of two years. Consequently, this aspect further obscures ASIO operations from the public.
The constant amplification of ASIO’s powers mimics police state behaviors. It overturns essential democratic freedoms including the right to silence, the right not to be self-incriminating, and the fundamental principle of no detention without formal charges or a trial.
Powers initially deemed ‘extraordinary’ and temporary were first enacted in response to the battle against terrorism following the still undetermined Al Qaeda-linked terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 on the World Trade Center buildings in New York. Such steps paved the way for the brutal US-led invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq.
Burke, while proposing the bills, commented that ASIO ‘plays a vital role in securing Australia and Australians from threats to their safety.’ He further stated that the obligatory questioning authority equips ASIO with ‘an exceptional and mandatory instrument to investigate the most significant threats facing Australia today.’
ASIO, established by the Chifley Labor government in 1949, carries a long history of political persecution, and conspiracies, primarily against socialist and leftist groups. The present government under Labor plans to assign hundreds of billions in financial aid towards military expenditure. This includes notable spending on AUKUS submarines and other arms, along with upgrades to bases across northern Australia for enhanced US access.
The government, under increasing pressure from the Trump administration to elevate defense spending, has restlessly pledged to take further actions. Burke stated that ‘ASIO has exercised these powers judiciously, but they have remained a valuable tool for intelligence gathering.’ The official records show that ASIO has utilized its questioning ability four times since 2002, though no public details exist.
The second bill is proposed by Labor to be refined by the parliament’s secretive and ASIO-approved joint intelligence and security committee, consisting entirely of Labor and Coalition members. The labor government’s expansion of ASIO’s vast powers suggests a warning of political suppression and censorship, similar to wartime, as the government continues to push its agenda despite widespread anti-war sentiment.
The Greens initially criticized the bill, suggesting that it be referred to the Senate’s legal and constitutional committee in which the Greens are members. As expected, when Green’s spokesperson Senator David Shoebridge moved a motion for the same, it was rejected 36 to 12 by Labor, Coalition, and far-right senators. This outlines the preparations for an imminent catastrophic war against China for dominance over the Indo-Pacific region and the world.
The post Albanese Labor Government Boosts ASIO’s Investigative Powers in Australia appeared first on Real News Now.
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