Tighter police powers for Australian colony

N. MAKANDA'S quote from Alexis de Tocqueville (Workers Press August 27), that the deformities of a government are best judged in its colonies where they 'are seen as through a microscope, is of relevance when applied to Australia and its colony, the Territory of Papua, New Guinea.

In both places repressive law-and-order measures are being prepared at full speed, but it is in the Territory that the full brute force of capitalism is most apparent.

Recent proposals to tighten up the law there are so pressive and so reminiscent of S Africa that even representatives of bourgeois law have felt compelled to protest.

Among the things planned in the Territory are: police powers to search vehicles; provide magistrates with power to order 'vagrants' people whose words actions are likely to lead to homer, strict to return to their home specific periods; permit prosecution of trespassers who wrongfully remain on land premises after being asked to leave; provide a of $500 £233) or 12-months' jail foi those who incite or encourage a crime.

There is also provision in the Bill to provide controls over public meetings which are considered likely •TO lead to disorder (it would appear that the Bill also gives prophetic powers to its police).

The political strength this would put into the government's hands when a possible leader is ordered out of a city or a mine back to his home in the bush, or when permits for meetings are refused because such a meeting might lead to disorder (for whom?) is readily seen.

Opposition to the Bill has come from the Australian Branch of the International Commission of Jurists, whose members are from various Australian universities and the University of Papua and New Guinea.

They have suggested that two sections of the Bill should be deleted and others should be amended, although it is doubtful if even the changes they propose would prevent further powers being given to the police.

Other signs of fight have come from a political part in the Territory, the Pangu Pati, a neity-formed 'black power movement, and the trade unions. There is talk of united front between the groups.

But workers threatened by exists to shove anybody opposing them into jail.' The power behind the Bill for the Territory is obvious, but this should not blind Australian workers to the same, but less obvious, moves being taken against themselves.

The recent national threehour stoppage in protest against the Federal Budget has been used as a peg on which to hang a further call for repressive legislation.

Prime Minister Mr John Gorton has claimed that there people to law in community where the oppor cunity exists the through the ballot box.

Tom is preparing legislation people which we can read, trade unionists, socialists, and others prepared to fight for the class, any form of action Other such as private places to detriment of citizens are cut from same cloth as the 1 entitory DIll can speak of Hughes trade unionist. marched on is suburban svanev home to He had earlie made a which put the numthe actual figure.

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Mr Kiki, who is described by some as the most influential trade union leader in the Territory, had this to say:

•. It is a great temptation aving the way for misuse o he laws by the first government after independence.

'Our benevolent white colonial masters will very likely not misuse these powers, but a ready-made opportunity spectrum - providing that its axis of rotation is not pointing directly at the earth.