Not even Australia's harsh anti-terrorism laws include mandatory imprisonment provisions such as those contained in the Hodgman government’s extreme anti-protest legislation, Greens Justice spokesperson Nick McKim MP said today.
“In Australia we do not have mandatory sentencing for people found guilty of acts of terrorism, yet in Will Hodgman’s Tasmania people face mandatory imprisonment for exercising their right to protest,” Mr McKim said.
“This says a lot about his priorities as Premier.”
“It is highly embarrassing for Mr Harriss and Mr Hodgman to have former Supreme Court Justice Pierre Slicer state publicly that this Bill is one of the worst drafted Bills he has seen in his life, and that it cannot be fixed by amendment.”
“National constitutional experts are also publicly saying that the government's amendments to this Bill actually make it more likely to be successfully challenged in the High Court.”
“Paul Harriss should withdraw the Bill and relegate it to the rubbish bin permanently before he inflicts any more damage on Tasmania’s reputation.”
"Mr Harriss' handling of this Bill has been a shambles, and speaks volumes about his competence."
“This government is making Tasmania a national and international laughing-stock. The Bill has to go,” Mr McKim said.