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where democratic freedoms are being eroded in Australia - Coggle Diagram
where democratic freedoms are being eroded in Australia
trend of governments eroding democratic foundations
disturbing trend of governments eroding many of the vital foundations of our democracy at the state and federal leave, tipping the balance away from the interests of the individuals towards greater business and government power
attacks on the right to peaceful protest
examples: surrfagist movements, gurindji walk-out, environmental protests, sorry day
state governments have passes far reaching and dangerous laws that undermine our right to peaceful protest
introduced or proposed laws aimed at restricting protest in order to protect commercial interests, particularly forestry/mining operations
favouring the government and vested business interests the expense of the democratic right to protest
attacks on whistleblowers and press freedoms
whistleblowers: person who informs on a person or organisation regarded as engaging in unlawful/immoral/unethical activity
australian government refuses to make available basic and timely information about immigration matters of intense public interests
2015 border force act intensified this culture of secrecy, threatens immigration workers and contractors with 2 years in jail for recording or disclosing information about events, inspired protest from medical staff (who say they are unable to act in accordance with their ethical duties w/o risking prosecution
increased secrecy has meant that whistleblowing insiders exposing misconduct and illegality has become more important, whistleblower protections are complex, inadequate to protect those who wish to disclose abuses
australian government has responded to whistleblowing with increasingly aggressive reprisals including referrals to the australian federal police for investigation + potential prosecution
Undermining institutions and sidelining the courts
australian government has increasingly sought to undermine some of hte institutions that hold it accountable and to sideline our independent court system in a number of critical areas including immigration detention, national security
new laws removed or diminished the ability of the courts to ovesee the government decisions, that stip people of their citizenshup, suspend their passports, lock them up, turn back their asylum boats, detain them on high seas
senior ministers have vilified legal action by communify and environmental organisations aimed at holding them accountable, accusing organisations of legal sabotage + vigilante litigation
australian government sought to undermine the capacity and independece of the australian human rights commission, by slashing the funding and engaging in unprecedented personal attacks on its president in response to an investigation into human rights abuses against children in immigration detention
erosion in part of a global trend
erosion of australia's democracy is occurring within a well-documented global trend of governments stifling criticism and restricting civil society
vilified environmental groups that opposed oil developments and restricted the legal, financial and political space within which environmental and human rights organisations operate
canada, uk, us, spain