185: THE NEW AUTHORITARIANISM
ISBN 0 9775171 2 8
SUMMER 2006
published 29 November 2006

On 10 September 2005, Scott Parkin, a non-violent peace activist visiting from the United States, was hauled off Sydney Road, Brunswick, by police, taken to jail, held incommunicado, and then flown out of Australia. He had to pay for his custody and his flight, as well as that of the two security officials who accompanied him. He had caused embarrassment to Halliburton because of his non-violent street theatre, and to the US, but there was no suggestion of any offence being committed or any breach of the terms of his visa. Other than that there was an adverse security assessment made about him, we simply do not know on what grounds he was silenced. Nor does he.

He has challenged in the Federal Court the decision to treat him this way. But Mr Parkin and his lawyers are not allowed to see the evidence against him. They are not allowed to be in court when the government makes its submissions. This is all permitted under the National Security Information (Criminal and Civil Proceedings) Act, a certificate having been signed by the Attorney-General, Mr Ruddock, who sponsored the passage of this legislation through parliament.

Once we reach this stage, where political repression can go unreviewed because a politician says so, we no longer have the rule of law, but the unbridled, unfettered exercise of power – the rule of the despot.

BRIAN WALTERS SC, President of Liberty Victoria, asks what are the origins and probable effects of the new authoritarianism in Australian society?

Elsewhere in this issue, DAVID RITTER looks at how the ‘war on terror’ has been justified in Australia by a radical re-writing or drastic over-simplification of history.

ROBYN WALTON seeks to counteract this failure of historical memory by providing a survey of earlier terrorist acts and organisations.

ANNE FAIRBAIRN AM draws on her personal history and long connection with the Middle East to identify possible reasons for anger in that region, seeking, as she says, to make the ‘leap’ to the Other mind.

GEORGE WILLIAMS finds that “over the past decade there have been clear signals that when it comes to speech Australians are not as free as we like to think”.

New electoral laws, moreover, “aim to prevent or handicap ballot challenges to the mainstream political parties”, according to MICHAEL HEAD.

And STAN WINFORD draws attention to new government moves to sabotage the already severely under-funded and limited legal services provided to ‘the poor’ by community legal aid centres.

Plus more ARTICLES, NEW FICTION, POETRY, REVIEWS and MEMOIR.

Enquiries to Jeff Sparrow on 03 9919 4163 or email or overland@vu.edu.au

185 Contents

editorial

literature | DEBRA DUDEK

fiction | PETER FARRAR

poem | CAROL JENKINS

review | LIZ JACKA

2006 index