About a week or so ago, Peter Dutton proposed a new law expanding ASIO's domestic powers which is readily gaining support from the Morrison Government which would legalize the following measures:

1. The interrogation of 14 year old minors, lowering the age restriction from 16.
2. The oral, on the spot issuing of "Questioning and Detention" Warrants, removing the involvement of a Judge.
3. The ability to green light the use of tracking devices with only internal authorisation, removing any kind of oversight. 
4. The extension of ASIO influence outside the realm of Terrorism Prevention and into an ever more public sphere.

Dutton says the measures will come with certain provisions, including allowing suspects a lawyer and parental supervision. However, there is a risk the law will be pressured into service as ASIO's current suite of powers has a sunset clause which is due to come down soon, so the measures might be implemented without first having been looked over by authorities to ascertain necessity and legality. On the field, this means 'suspects' could be denied those provisions and we will not be able to do a thing about it.

ASIO has also announced quite publicly that it doesn't intend to allow Journalists any form of legal immunity, in the words of Charles Miranda from the Daily Telegraph "It seeks to secure overseas intelligence from their (Journalists) mobile phones, emails and data storage if it believes reports are not in the public interest" 

Simultaneously, Dutton has also passed a law allowing foreign governments to tap the phones of Australian Citizens, solidifying an already extant informal cooperation between member states of the Five Eyes Agreement.

Is it really a good idea to hand even more disruptive power to an organization which is so willing to cross both ethical and legal barriers in its pursuit of what we cannot now reasonably doubt, to be overt social and political influence over our people? To allow a man bent on becoming a tyrant to erode the last vestiges of safety from our legal system and install in its place, state sponsored terror? 

I say no. Foriegn Terrorism has not seen an increase in years and yet every few months, we see more restrictions supposedly for our protection, but which end up denying us more human rights and more freedom. It can be remedied, simply by cutting the head off the metaphorical snake; remove Peter Dutton from office, rescind his oppressive policies and replace him with someone more sensible, someone who actually has the best interests of this country at heart. 

We are not alone in this. But we do need support. Our first goal has been met, now its time to keep the pressure up and ensure our safety is not undermined, our privacy not compromised and the innocent not victimized. Share in any way you can.