Are some of our new anti-terror laws really necessary?
That’s what one academic is asking after reading a recent report by the Australian Federal Police. The report looked at the use of preventative detention and control orders. You may remember that legislation enabling the police to detain terror suspects for two weeks with out charge or trial was passed late last year. Well according to a recent AFP report they have not used their new powers once. No biggy you might be saying. But Dr Michael Head form the University of Western Sydney has raised concerns about the way the laws were passed. He says that the exact time this new terror legislation was passed, an additional amendment to existing anti-terror legislation was rushed through parliament within 24 hours, with the government citing an immediate and imminent threat to the public Dr Head says that the fact that these unprecedented laws have not been used begs the question of the nature of the threat to the public that was invoked by the Government.