Union raises danger of new ASIO powers

The National Secretary of the Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy 
Union (CFMEU), John Maitland, has expressed concern at proposals by the 
Howard Government to radically increase the powers of the Australian Secret 
Intelligence Organisation (ASIO).

The Government proposes to legislate to give ASIO the power to detain, 
without charge, and interrogate without the presence of legal 
representation, citizens suspected of having "terrorist links". The 
proposals would also allow ASIO to seize the assets and records of 
Australian organisations.

Mr Maitland said that the proposals were a massive breach of civil rights 
and that there was a great potential to misuse such laws.

"If laws like this were around 20 years ago the CFMEU, for example, could 
have been destroyed as an organisation and its leaders detained for 
financially supporting Nelson Mandela and the African National Congress, 
who John Howard himself used to call "terrorists".

"Similarly, the CFMEU has a strong record of support for the Palestinian 
people and for the Republican cause in Ireland. Both Gerry Adams and Yasser 
Arafat were once `terrorists' who in fact went on to win the Nobel Peace 
prize and be lauded at the White House as visionary leaders of their 
people.

"The tragedy of September 11 cannot be cynically misused by reactionary 
politicians as a pretext for creating a police state."

Mr Maitland pointed out that there were already sufficient powers in the 
hands of Australian law enforcement agencies and that there was no need to 
give secret government authorities more power to pry into people's lives.