Democratic Rights

Democratic rights won in more than a century of struggles are being stolen from us. The aim is to silence the voice of those opposed to the power of big business and governments.

The so-called war on terror was used by the Howard Government to launch a massive offensive on basic democratic rights. The Labor Government has not repealed these laws.

Democratic rights are important. They are rights we need and they give us the best conditions in which to fight for real people power.

Current anti-democratic laws must be swept away and replaced by democratically structured institutions that implement policies which liberate rather than enslave, which lift living standards rather than create poverty, which extend democratic rights rather than destroy them and which preserve the environment rather than pollute the world.

The Communist Alliance will fight for:

1. Trade Union Rights

  • Abolition of the building industry police force, the Australian Building Industry Commission (ABCC)
  • Abolition of the weak Fair Work Australia legislation and its replacement by laws to guarantee the right of workers to strike and to act in solidarity with others, both nationally and internationally.
  • Protection of the right of union officials to enter work sites.

2. Freedom of Expression

  • More channels of communication of the views of all must be expanded. The people’s voice must be heard.
  • All publicly owned media must be strengthened to help overcome the anti-democratic private ownership of newspapers, radio and TV by just a few profit-driven individuals and groups.
  • Increased Australian content must be a requirement when allocating or renewing commercial broadcast licenses.

3. Voting Rights

The electoral system is constructed in a manner which aims to keep government within the limits of the two-party system.

Electoral laws must be changed to introduce proportional representation and to lower the requirements to register a political party.

4. Repeal of the Terror Laws

The anti-terrorism laws must be repealed and long held rights must be restored. These include:

  • the right to remain silent
  • the presumption of innocence
  • the onus of accusers to prove guilt
  • the right to a legal representative of one’s own choosing
  • the right of the person detained and his/her legal representative to see evidence being used and to be present in court
  • freedom of speech after and during detention These rights must be restored to the people!

5. Right to Protest

Restrictions on the right to protest must be removed. The right to express political views in public and the right to dissent, set out in the United Nations Convention on Civil and Political Rights, must be protected.

 

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Authorised by T Pearson, 74 Buckingham St, Surry Hills 2010