The Editor,

Sydney Morning Herald.                                                           September 9, 2005.

So, the federal government is advocating the restriction of our most basic freedoms for up to 12 months, including rights of communication, association, travel & privacy, based on a suspicion (‘Track and tag – the new war on terrorism’, Herald, September 9)?

In spinning his terrorist fear meme, the Prime Minister has wrongly asserted that our most fundamental civil liberty is the right to life. Our right to life is creator given & not a discretionary commodity to be issued by government fiat.

Surely our most fundamental civil liberty is our freedom?  

If any of us can be deemed a ‘suspect’, with our rights, including the presumption of innocence, abrogated by government without charge or trial, in secret hearings, then freedom is dead & we have become a police state.