Do New Police Powers in NSW Go Too Far?
Civil rights groups have reacted with concern to proposed changes to NSW police surveillance powers, which would enable the police to bug people’s homes for up to 90 days and monitor more closely the communications of those convicted of terrorist offences. The laws, announced by NSW Premier Bob Carr, are yet to be tabled in parliament, however, they already won the support of police and terrorism experts. However, civil libertarians like Cameron Murphy, the president of the New South Wales Council for Civil Liberties, remain concerned about the possible abuse of powers by police. While Walid Kadous from the Australian Muslim Civil Rights Advocacy Network believe that these new powers will increase the discrimination against and isolation felt by the Muslim community within Australia.