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With no Coalition free vote, where to now on the road to same-sex marriage?
By Paula Gerber The much-anticipated announcement of the government’s position on same-sex marriage raised more questions than it answered. By rejecting a free vote on same-sex marriage for Coalition MPs during this term of parliament, the government ensured that Australia will continue to be the only developed English-speaking country in the world where marriage is an […]
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Hicks conviction overturned – is he owed an apology or assistance?
By Adam Fletcher A United States Military Court’s decision to overturn David Hicks’ conviction for the crime of “material support for terrorism” represents a welcome return to the international rule of law – at least in the US. I have written previously that material support for terrorism was effectively a “non-crime” at the time of […]
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Guest Blog: National pride and national unity: why we should get rid of the racial discrimination in our Constitution
By Shireen Morris Australia Day is a day of national pride and national unity – isn’t it? On this day in 1788 Captain Phillip stuck his flag in the sand at Sydney Cove and declared the land British territory, ignoring the people who already lived here. Terra nullius denied Indigenous existence, or at least denied […]
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‘Push Backs’ of Boats to Indonesia
By Maria O’Sullivan This piece considers whether the opposition’s plan to “tow back” boats to Indonesia complies with international law. On 17 July, our associate Azadeh Dastyari published this critique of the opposition’s claim that its plan is similar to the United States’ tow back policy. For a number of years now, the debate about how to […]