Aussie privacy and rights under threat

Australia: "Special Minister of State Eric Abetz says the Medicare smartcard is nothing like the Australia card*.

"The AMA and Australian Council for Civil Liberties (ACCL) are concerned the Federal Government's microchipped smartcard will one day lead to unauthorised bureaucrats accessing private health details.

"The smartcard is being trialled in Tasmania."
Source: ABC Oz

* The Australia card was proposed by a Labor government (yes, Labor) in the mid-1980s. At first, public reaction was slow but gradually a public education program and campaign by liberty activists managed to get the government to dump the idea in the face of great public opposition.


* Ø * Ø * Ø *

ASIO law 'fundamentally wrong', committee told

"The Law Council of Australia says ASIO's questioning and detention powers should be wound back because they could seriously infringe on the rights of Australians.

"Media organisations are also pushing the Federal Government to water down legislation which restricts journalists' reporting of terrorist-related investigations by ASIO.

"The Law Council has told a federal parliamentary committee reviewing the ASIO Legislation Amendment Act that people can be detained for questioning for periods well in excess of those allowed by criminal law."
Source: ABC Oz

ASIO is the Australian Security and Intelligence Organisation -- Australia's spy force.