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Aussie flag design competition: Britain wins again (47)
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Attorney General Philip Ruddock today defended his new sedition laws, which outlaw ‘unlawful’ dissent against the sovereign, Government, or either House of Parliament. Ruddock said the introduction of such broadly-worded anti-dissent laws was “absolutely urgent”. “After we pass this legislation, I would expect there to be more ‘open urging of disaffection with the Government’ then ever,” he said. “So we'd better be ready for it.” 
John Howard’s refusal to promise that no workers will be worse off was vindicated yesterday when Wilson Ferguson, the Clerk of the Parliament slipped a disc while trying to lift the government draft laws. Mr Ferguson’s injury means he will be off work until the new laws are passed, after which he will be sacked. 
Rodney Adler is to be reunited with his friend Brad Cooper thanks to the criminal justice system after Cooper was convicted of bribery and deception over the collapse of HIH. The association between Adler and Cooper, a flamboyant motivational speaker, became one of Australia's most inspirational business partnerships, inspiring a host of regulatory authorities to commence proceedings against them. Once jailed, Cooper's prison duties will include ironing, gardening and motivating jailed executives to return to business if they get parole. 
The Prime Minister has defended proposed shoot-to-kill laws, saying that in the heightened security environment the shoot-to-kill policy would only be used in situations where police freak out. “The world changed on September 11,” Howard said. “Before then I would have needed a good reason to pass draconian legislation like this.”Mr Howard said that the laws are essential for making Australia safer. “The power to kill civilians is vital in the fight against those who threaten civilian safety,” he said. 
The government is planning a blanket advertising campaign, including on weekends and public holidays for no extra fee, in the hope of convincing voters that its IR laws will not disadvantage them. But the latest Morgan poll suggests most Australians already consider themselves worse off simply because they’ve been subjected to the “WorkChoices” ads. 
