There will be more Jake Bilardis to come, and Australia must realise that no two cases will be entirely the same. Radicalised individuals will come from all areas of society.
Tony Abbott drew a direct link between an increased deployment of troops to Iraq and Australia’s domestic safety.
AAP/Lukas Coch
Tony Abbott says the troop escalation in Iraq marks “the next phase” of Australia’s contribution to disrupt, degrade and ultimately defeat Islamic State.
The continued focus on aerial bombardment of Islamic State’s military and economic assets risks alienating Iraq’s Sunni population.
EPA
Hizb ut-Tahrir is not a political party. It is not active in any Islamic schools, mosques or institutes. It does not have any real influence on Australia’s Islamic community.
When Manal Kassem laid her bridal bouquet at the tribute to the Lindt Cafe siege victims in Sydney, onlookers applauded – no-one cast doubt on her sincerity as a Muslim in the way Tony Abbott’s words have done.
AAP/Supplied
By casting doubt on the sincerity of Islamic leaders when they condemn terrorism and extremism, the prime minister risks alienating Muslims and dividing instead of uniting the Australian community.
Unlike early 20th-century prime minister Alfred Deakin, Tony Abbott has no language for reaching out to the Australian people.
Library of Congress
Amid debate about expanded national security laws, political leaders have yet to explain why terrorism is a more important threat than other challenges such as climate change or domestic violence.
Tony Abbott’s proposed national security measures include significant changes to Australia’s citizenship regime.
AAP/Lukas Coch
The proposal to revoke the citizenship of dual citizens who fight for terrorist groups would materially expand upon the existing grounds for citizenship loss.
Who is Doug talking to, and will Australia’s proposed metadata retention scheme be able to find out?
Flickr/Doug
The Australian government’s meta data retention bill cares more about who you connect with than what services you may use. Yet many such online services may also be out of its reach.
Prime Minister Tony Abbott’s chief of staff Peta Credlin has once again come under fire.
AAP/Karlis Salna
Tony Abbott’s leadership is now so fragile that he seems nearly beyond being able to rebalance himself. Abbott is the victim of leaks and general destabilisation, and the continued miscalculations by himself…
Tony Abbott’s proposed national security changes have the potential to exacerbate the underlying causes of violent extremism and further damage Australia’s social cohesion.
AAP/Lukas Coch
Australia’s response to terrorism must not be rooted in short-term political gains, but in a larger strategy that takes into account the problems leading to social disaffection.
Prime Minister Tony Abbott said the government would act against “hate preachers”.
AAP/Lukas Coch
Tony Abbott has urged Muslim leaders to speak out more – and sincerely – in the fight against terrorism, as he unveiled tough new measures that would remove or curb the citizenship rights of those linked…
Prime Minister Tony Abbott will deliver a national security statement on Monday.
AAP/Paul Miller
The government on Monday will announce a new national counter-terrorism offensive to better meet threats, counter violent extremism and build community cohesion, as Tony Abbott shifts focus from individual…
Prime Minister Tony Abbott insists that ‘the system’ let Australians down in the case of siege gunman Man Haron Monis.
AAP/Paul Miller
Tony Abbott insists that “the system” let Australians down by not heading off siege gunman Man Haron Monis long before he ever got near the Lindt cafe in Martin Place. “This monster should not have been…
Questions still to be answered on what metadata is to be kept from internet connections.
Flickr/Jakub Hlavaty
The metadata retention debate is heating up with Prime Minister Tony Abbott telling us the cost of not going ahead with compulsory retention of metadata will be incalculable and will represent a form of…
The Abbott government’s expedited passage of national security laws in 2014 demonstrated an underlying disrespect for the legislative process.
AAP/Nikki Short
Prime Minister Tony Abbott has made two key pledges in recent weeks – to begin “good government” and to no longer give “the benefit of doubt” to people suspected of planning terrorist activities in Australia…
The Allied bombing of Dresden, which killed 25,000 civilians, during the Second World War is but one example of state terrorism.
German Federal Archive
To overcome the kind of relativism captured by the cliché “one person’s terrorist is another’s freedom fighter”, we need to define terrorism independently of who is employing it. Here is the definition…
Prime Minister Tony Abbott is pushing for greater metadata retention powers.
Youtube
Tony Abbott will seek to shore up his case for the government’s controversial metadata legislation on Wednesday by highlighting its use in child sex abuse and child pornography investigations. The prime…
Bill Shorten is in a difficult situation with national security legislation.
AAP/Lukas Coch
The national security debate, involving potentially life and death issues but heavily overlaid with politics by an embattled government, is tricky ground for the Labor opposition. Opposition leader Bill…
Tony Abbott’s statement to parliament on national security is to come amidst a difficult time for the prime minister.
AAP/Mick Tsikas
Prime Minister Tony Abbott looks set to make a case for further sweeping national security changes in the wake of recent terrorist attacks and arrests. Speaking in advance of a statement to parliament…