The close to a decade that the federal Coalition has been in power has seen an ever-increasing authoritarian creep, Sydney Criminal Lawyers reports. 

Australia is a nation that is increasing repressions against First Nations, provides no rights guarantees to all, tortures and punishes refugees, subjects women to inequity and violence, increasingly surveils its public, promotes opaque government and is actively compounding the climate crisis for profit.

So, as a federal election is looming, the NSW Council for Civil Liberties (NSWCCL) considered it a prime time to check in with all the political parties and independents running in the national vote to inquire as to how they’ll approach these pressing issues over the next term of parliament.

As the results of the NSWCCL 2022 Election Scorecard reveal, we can’t as a nation rely on the major parties to see us through this period of multiple crises, as they actually helped drag us into it.

Indeed, what the scorecard does tell us is that it’s time to vote for the progressive minor parties and independents who are prioritising policies that will uphold all of our civil liberties, regardless of race, creed, gender, sexuality, ability, country of origin or bank balance.

When talking to Sydney Criminal Lawyers about the scorecard, our president Pauline Wright said:

“We’ve seen through COVID-19 how important most of the population see their civil liberties as being,”

“It’s really important for the political parties and independent candidates to consider their position on key civil liberties and human rights issues that we’ve identified as important, from the perspective of an organisation that stands for upholding liberties and rights,”

For more information, read the full article.