Webdiary - Founded and Inspired by Margo Kingston

|| National round-up early edition || No extended edition today II

"Is protecting the environment an act of sedition? The question is not just rhetorical - it comes out of concerns raised that the proposed new anti-terrorism laws would render ordinary democratic practices illegal. At their strongest, the proposed laws render an organisation illegal if it encourages acts with a seditious intention - an intention defined so broadly as to include urging "another person to attempt to procure a change, otherwise than by lawful means, to any matter established by law of the Commonwealth". This is not limited to violent or terrorist activities" Greg Ogle

"A series of terrorism bills were introduced into this chamber in March 2002. The basis for them being introduced set the pattern. They were introduced at 8 pm on 12 March 2002—a hundred pages of legislation; a hundred pages of explanatory memorandum—and were debated the very next day. Under the original proposed bill, the government were seeking ASIO warrants to be provided for indefinite detention and questioning of persons, including children, who have information on terrorist attacks. They proposed detention incommunicado. They proposed no right to decline to give information or produce a document, no penalty for officers who do not administer the bill correctly and no parliamentary oversight. That legislation, of course, in 2002 had serious flaws. Labor was able to make that legislation better, ensuring the terrorists—but only the terrorists—were targeted." Simon Crean on Howard's form

This week the world’s countries – including Australia – meet in Montreal to discuss where we go next on climate change. Today on Webdiary two commentaries on the meeting and potential outcomes. In the first J. Bradford DeLong states "the world's industrial core must create incentives for the developing world to industrialize along an environmentally-friendly, C02- and CH4-light, path". In the second, Bjørn Lomborg argues that "they are wrong about our priorities, and they are advocating an inefficient remedy." Read on for the two perspectives.