Page 1211 - Week 04 - Thursday, 21 March 1991
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That is very explicit. There is nothing from which any succour can be taken by those opposite. Article 19(3) provides the only permissible restrictions on that right where such restrictions are necessary in order to protect the rights of individuals or the security of the nation. It is very hard to see how either of those exceptions can cover political advertising of the kind proposed to be banned by the Australian Labor Party.
The governments of this country are not idle against this threat. The New South Wales Government under Mr Greiner has said that it is seeking advice on whether such bans are unconstitutional, and I recall hearing comments by the human rights commissioner that there may be problems with this legislation. The Labor Party are quick to champion human rights, so-called; but they seem to fall silent when it comes to protecting this particular human right. Mr Greiner said about the Federal Government's decision:
... basically an expedient political decision which favours not only the present Federal Government, which is strapped for money in a political sense, it simply favours incumbent governments, but I think it does great damage to the way our democracy works.
I say to that, "Hear, hear!". It clearly does that damage. If the ALP are serious about controlling election advertising, let them put restrictions on all forms of advertising, not just those in which they feel they might do worst at the coming election. We can see through that. We know what they are about. To use one of Mr Berry's favourite phrases, we have flushed them out, and I think most Australians will appreciate what is going on here.
MRS GRASSBY (5.02): I have never before in all my life heard such codswallop as I have just listened to. The thing that really gets me with the Liberals is that they are very lazy. Being brought up in the Catholic Church, I remember that when bishops went around to visit their priests they used to check the visitors book. It showed how many people the priests had been out to visit and how much leather they had worn off their shoes, and the bishops knew what sort of a job they were doing.
I have door-knocked many a time in my life. I have never seen a Liberal door-knock in his or her life. They would not know how to do it. They are too lazy to do any work. They get big donations from firms so that they can do it all on television. They are the laziest people out. If I had my way, I would have all political donations declared and all advertising banned. I think that donations given to a party, whether they be one cent or $1m, should have to be declared.
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