First of all - y’all do know that Antartica is a largely Australian territory, doncha?
And secondly, I totally agree that many governments have changed their laws previously in times of war to meet various agendas - the point I was trying to make is that we who live in democratic nations have the power to influence the decisions our governments make at this time : that choice isn’t open to my many fellow human beings who live under dictatorships.
Will my government change it’s laws to accommodate the promise our PM to the US without even consulting our Parliament? Very probably - legally, he was in no position to give that guarantee; however, since his return it has been ratified on a bipartisan basis and most of us voting people support that decision. It’s a technicality that he didn’t follow “proper” procedure, and even his political enemies aren’t trying to make mileage out of it.
Unlike the US and the UK, we have an election looming within the next 3 months - 3 weeks ago this government was certain to be defeated at the forthcoming election, now they are riding the wave : our people are about to vote with their feet, and very soon; there isn’t any room for changing the laws just because they can - election day is way too close for any voter to forget how any of our politicians are behaving right now. Neither major party is going to upset the electorate in the few weeks before the election. More than ever before in any election I can remember, the eyes of this nation are upon them - the price of fucking up is their party being out of power for at least the next 4 years.
If these assholes who committed these atrocities can force your nation and mine to change their most basic laws, then they have won - it ain’t gonna happen here, it just aint.
It’s no longer confidential information, so I can share it with you - our reserve army has been put on high alert so that we can both maintain our current military commitments (we’re still part of several UN peace-keeping forces, the most significant of which is in East Timor) and still contain any civil unrest which might arise here over the coming months. We don’t have a huge military force, but we are desperately looking for ways in which we can both honour our current commitments and also stand alongside the US, NZ,Canada, Britain, and everyone else in what can legitimately be called a fight for freedom.
I’d like to assure you all that whatever my country’s government does over the coming months truly is the will of the majority of people (whether or not I agree with the ultimate decision made by that majority). If it ever comes down to the “C” word (conscription) then I will balk, and re-evaluate my position, but until and unless it does reach that point, rest assured that most of us Aussies have no moral conflict whatsoever with backing the US in any reasoned response and at the same time upholding the rule or law in our own nation - either/or is a simplistic tabloid description by the tabloids. Dubbya is not threatening massive retribrution against Australia just because a few of bin Laden’s associates happen to be here right now; anymore than Israel threatens us because a digusting number of war criminals live in our nation.
We will stand by our laws, just as you will, because to do anything else would be to surrender our independence at the whim of these terrorists. These arseholes are not going to win by making us change our laws - at least not in my lifetime they won’t.