AAP General News (Australia)
08-13-2009
Fed: Coalition "loath" to support changes
CANBERRA, Aug 13 AAP - The federal coalition is loath to support any changes to Australia's
terror laws, opposition attorney-general spokesman George Brandis says.
The government has flagged a number of changes to the laws in a discussion paper released
on Monday, including tighter limits on the time a terror suspect can be held by authorities.
The definition of a terrorist act would also be expanded to include hoaxes and acts
that inflict psychological harm, while police powers to search a premises have been strengthened.
Senator Brandis says the previous Howard government's terror laws had struck the right
balance between national security and the rights of individuals.
"There hasn't been any difficulty in enforcing those laws," he told reporters on Thursday.
"There hasn't been a terrorist incident in Australia."
The coalition would be "very loath" to see further invasions on the rights of individuals.
The government's proposed changes risked softening the laws in some areas, Senator Brandis said.
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KEYWORD: TERROR BRANDIS
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