I wrote a letter to my local MP the other day about the Coalitions attempt at power accumulation: its data retention law proposal. This was the response. Use your incalculably precious rights as a free citizen and give your government feedback. To any institution, change is a nuisance. But the more feedback the government gets from its citizens, the more it will be pressured to do something about it. ________________ Dear Iain, Thank you for your email about the Liberal Government’s proposed mandatory data retention scheme. I apologise for the delay in responding. I have raised your concern with the Labor Opposition Attorney-General, the Hon Mark Dreyfus, and received the following response. The Federal Opposition believes that our security agencies should have all the powers necessary to keep Australians safe from the threat of terrorism. Nobody who has witnessed distressing images of terrorist activities in Syria, Iraq and other conflict zones could doubt the importance of this critical responsibility. In addition to defending our nation’s security, Labor also strongly believes in the importance of upholding our basic democratic rights and freedoms. It is essential that, in seeking to protect ourselves from terrorist threats, we do not ourselves take away the very freedoms we seek to defend. To date the Liberal Government has been completely unable to explain the data retention policy that it announced. Labor awaits the detail of the Government’s proposed mandatory data retention scheme, including how national security concerns and the powers of our agencies will be balanced against upholding our democratic freedoms. We will continue to listen to and consult widely with the Australian community on this important issue. I hope this information is of assistance to you. Yours sincerely, Kelvin Thomson MP
Posted on: Mon, 06 Oct 2014 07:10:46 +0000
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