Go Back  FlyerTalk Forums > Travel&Dining > Travel Safety/Security > Checkpoints and Borders Policy Debate
Reload this Page >

Concern about increased airport security in Australia

Concern about increased airport security in Australia

Old Feb 18, 2012, 4:53 pm
  #61  
 
Join Date: Jul 2007
Programs: QFF
Posts: 5,304
Originally Posted by guflyer
I like your idea of trying to get the no-opt out part removed before it is voted on. Do you have any ideas for the best way to get this accomplished?
Start by contacting your MP about this issue. I posted the contact list up thread over a week ago, but aph changed their website yesterday, so new links needed...

Senate: http://www.aph.gov.au/Senators_and_M...=-1&gen=0&ps=0

Reps: http://www.aph.gov.au/Senators_and_M...=-1&gen=0&ps=0

Maybe getting something in the media would be useful as well. (such as letters to the editor or opeds in newspapers.)
Ripping apart Anthony Albanese's bill introductory speech somewhere in public view (ie, media) could be helpful.
Himeno is offline  
Old Feb 26, 2012, 4:43 pm
  #62  
 
Join Date: Jul 2007
Programs: QFF
Posts: 5,304
I just saw that this bill is going to the House Standing Committee on Infrastructure and Communications which is open to submissions.
http://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_...tion/index.htm

Submissions can be sent by email and need to be sent by tomorrow (28th feb).
Himeno is offline  
Old Mar 1, 2012, 1:36 am
  #63  
 
Join Date: Jul 2007
Programs: QFF
Posts: 5,304
9 submissions to the committee have been posted on the inquiry webpage. 1 is from the Department of Infrastructure and Transport and is a repeat of everything they've already put into the public domain about the scanners. The other 8 are from a mix of private citizens and state government councils - all are opposed to the bill.

I still can't understand how the 7 week trial could be called "successful" when it had a 43% failure rate.
Himeno is offline  
Old Mar 1, 2012, 9:07 am
  #64  
 
Join Date: Sep 2006
Posts: 6,967
Originally Posted by Himeno
I still can't understand how the 7 week trial could be called "successful" when it had a 43% failure rate.
Perhaps they are using 'American English' instead of 'Australian English' to define 'successful'.
exbayern is offline  
Old Mar 1, 2012, 3:39 pm
  #65  
 
Join Date: Mar 2007
Programs: QFF Gold, Flying Blue, Enrich
Posts: 5,366
Originally Posted by Himeno
9 submissions to the committee have been posted on the inquiry webpage. 1 is from the Department of Infrastructure and Transport and is a repeat of everything they've already put into the public domain about the scanners. The other 8 are from a mix of private citizens and state government councils - all are opposed to the bill.

I still can't understand how the 7 week trial could be called "successful" when it had a 43% failure rate.
I can't understand if Albanese is hell-bent on introducing these things, why (according to his reading of 16 Feb.) only at international airports? Are domestic airports and flights immune from, um, whatever it is that these scanners will protect us from?
BadgerBoi is offline  
Old Mar 1, 2012, 10:32 pm
  #66  
 
Join Date: Jul 2007
Programs: QFF
Posts: 5,304
Originally Posted by BadgerBoi
Are domestic airports and flights immune from, um, whatever it is that these scanners will protect us from?
Must be, they are immune from the physics breaching liquid bombs after all.
Himeno is offline  
Old Mar 4, 2012, 12:44 am
  #67  
 
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: Tasmania, Australia
Posts: 134
Any updates on whether scanners in regular use SYD?

I totally concur with all posters in this thread. I also believe that anything sensible that can be done to catch/counteract potential terrorism is to be applauded. But...I do object to an invasion of my personal privacy, and potential health issues for no gain.

I am due to fly out from SYD in a couple of weeks to uk - done so many times, but not with these dreaded scanners in place. Am a female of some years (!) who has a back full of titanium (never beeped before), has had the 'pleasure' of being swabbed down at least 5 times at SYD (what the ***, are grannie fliers normally targeted - seems they are - but no objection, swabbers always polite).

But I do object to the body scan. For starters am a breast cancer survivor and had a mastectomy - ie have a false boobie. Not ashamed, hubbie loves me heaps. BUT, the blurb about the Aussie scanners state proudly - they only detect: liquids, GELS, etc, etc. My prosthesis is made of gel.

I am happy to explain, to a sensitive, understanding screening person. But do not want to do this in full hearing of a queue of pax. Am I being ultra sensitive, think not. Thoughts appreciated.
ps, realise that the scanners may not be running mid March, but they will be doing so in future, so still a problem.
grannieflyer is offline  
Old Mar 4, 2012, 11:28 pm
  #68  
 
Join Date: Jul 2007
Programs: QFF
Posts: 5,304
Originally Posted by grannieflyer
I totally concur with all posters in this thread. I also believe that anything sensible that can be done to catch/counteract potential terrorism is to be applauded.
Problem is, the scanners don't do anything to counteract terrorism or increase security.

I am due to fly out from SYD in a couple of weeks to uk - done so many times, but not with these dreaded scanners in place. Am a female of some years (!) who has a back full of titanium (never beeped before), has had the 'pleasure' of being swabbed down at least 5 times at SYD (what the ***, are grannie fliers normally targeted - seems they are - but no objection, swabbers always polite).
The screeners operating the ETD machines have a quota to keep. When they are done with one person, they will grab the next person coming off the baggage xray. During busy periods, if timed right you can avoid them. At other times, it is almost certain that you'll get swabbed.

But I do object to the body scan. For starters am a breast cancer survivor and had a mastectomy - ie have a false boobie. Not ashamed, hubbie loves me heaps. BUT, the blurb about the Aussie scanners state proudly - they only detect: liquids, GELS, etc, etc. My prosthesis is made of gel.
Most of what the government has released about the scanners is a lie. They don't detect "weapons", "liquids" etc, they detect "objects" above a certain density (that the EM radiation will reflect off instead of pass through).
ps, realise that the scanners may not be running mid March, but they will be doing so in future, so still a problem.
The scanners can not be rolled out until a bill permitting them passes. That bill is currently before a House committee inquiry which needs to report back to the House of Reps with recommendations and any changes. It then needs to pass the House and move to the Senate which can then make changes. It needs to pass both houses in the same form before it is made law and the scanners can be rolled out.
Problem is the transport minister is determined to have them and the submission period for public comment to the committee was extremely short. He wants them in place by July, so clearly he thinks it will be a simple matter to get the bill through the entire process in its current form quickly. Every submission, other then the governments own, was opposed to the scanners and media polling showed about 63% opposed. At this stage we have to wait until the inquiry reports back.
Otherwise we need the Governor General to do what the Australian people want and desolve parliament and force an election. That would then cause the bill to be tossed out and have to be re-tabled with a new parliament.
Himeno is offline  
Old Mar 21, 2012, 12:54 am
  #69  
 
Join Date: Jul 2007
Programs: QFF
Posts: 5,304
The bill is still sitting in the house Infrastructure and Communications committee. Submissions for that inquiry are closed, though nothing appears to be happening there at this stage. I can't see anything on the committee schedule for discussions.

The Senate has sent the bill to the Senate Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport committee which is taking submissions for their inquiry until 30 March 2012.
Details: http://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_..._2012/info.htm

Also, some more submissions have been added to the house committee inquiry.
http://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_...ation/subs.htm
New submissions include:
An additional document from the Department of Infrastructure and Transport (detailing a demonstration of the scanners at Parliament House)
Australian Airline Pilots’ Association (rejecting bill)
Civil Liberties Australia (rejecting bill)
Australian Privacy Foundation (complaining about lack of due process and the governments failure to address issues raised during trial period)
Australian Privacy Commissoner (submissions appears neutral, just makes the committee aware of work the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner did for the Department of Infrastructure and Transport during the trial period)
Himeno is offline  
Old Mar 21, 2012, 9:12 am
  #70  
 
Join Date: Sep 2006
Posts: 6,967
Thank you for the continued updates. For those of us who are powerless to do anything to change this, we may still be interested in the progress, and I certainly do hope that you are all successful in preventing this from occurring.
exbayern is offline  
Old Mar 30, 2012, 2:52 am
  #71  
 
Join Date: Jul 2007
Programs: QFF
Posts: 5,304
Another supplementary submission has been added to the House inquiry from a private citizen adding to her previous submission calling out the inconstancy's in the governments submissions. Still no hearings scheduled for the house inquiry.

Submissions to the Senate inquiry close today. No hearings appearing on the schedule at the moment, though the senate inquiry has a reporting date of May 9. I would expect that submissions to the senate inquiry will start appearing on the aph website next week.

With 3 public holidays next month (Easter and Anzac Day), neither chamber is sitting during April and only 10 days show anything happening (all Senate hearings, none related to this bill).

If anyone would like to contact the committee members about the bill, details are listed below:

Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport (Senate)
Senator Glenn Sterle (Chair) http://www.aph.gov.au/Senators_and_M...arian?MPID=e68
Senator Bill Heffernan (Deputy Chair) http://www.aph.gov.au/Senators_and_M...arian?MPID=C16
Senator Alex Gallacher http://www.aph.gov.au/Senators_and_M...an?MPID=204953
Senator Fiona Nash http://www.aph.gov.au/Senators_and_M...arian?MPID=e5g
Senator Anne Urquhart http://www.aph.gov.au/Senators_and_M...an?MPID=231199
Senator Scott Ludlam (replacing another senator for this inquiry) http://www.aph.gov.au/Senators_and_M...arian?MPID=I07

Infrastructure and Communications (House)
Mr Nick Champion MP (Chair) http://www.aph.gov.au/Senators_and_M...arian?MPID=HW9
Mr Paul Neville MP (Deputy Chair) http://www.aph.gov.au/Senators_and_M...arian?MPID=KV5
Mr Paul Fletcher MP http://www.aph.gov.au/Senators_and_M...arian?MPID=L6B
Mr Ed Husic MP http://www.aph.gov.au/Senators_and_M...ian?MPID=91219
Mr Stephen Jones MP http://www.aph.gov.au/Senators_and_M...arian?MPID=A9B
Mr Rob Oakeshott MP http://www.aph.gov.au/Senators_and_M...arian?MPID=IYS
Mrs Jane Prentice MP http://www.aph.gov.au/Senators_and_M...an?MPID=217266
Mr Mike Symon MP http://www.aph.gov.au/Senators_and_M...arian?MPID=HW8
Himeno is offline  
Old Apr 7, 2012, 10:55 pm
  #72  
Used to be Sydneysider
 
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: CPH
Programs: AS MVP/Gold (and 75K aspirant)
Posts: 2,984
Originally Posted by exbayern
Thank you for the continued updates. For those of us who are powerless to do anything to change this, we may still be interested in the progress, and I certainly do hope that you are all successful in preventing this from occurring.
+1. I love Australia and am following this thread closely with the hope that common sense will prevail and I'll be able to travel there again without fear of being denied boarding because I choose to protect my privacy and health.
Savvy Traveler is offline  
Old Apr 11, 2012, 12:49 am
  #73  
 
Join Date: Jul 2007
Programs: QFF
Posts: 5,304
I received a reply to the email I sent to Warren Truss, Leader of the National Party (part of the Coalition – the current opposition) and Shadow Minister for Infrastructure and Transport on Feb 6 (just after it was first mentioned in the media, before the bill was tabled in parliament).

When considering the implementation of this new technology at our airports the community will need to be assured that the scans are safe and that their privacy of the travelling public is absolutely protected . Legitimate concerns have also been raised about the level of inconvenience travellers will face at airports and the value body scanners will add to our overall national security regime.

The Coalition has referred the legislation to the House of Representatives Committee on Infrastructure and Communications for their consideration and to obtain assurances that appropriate health and privacy standards are met, that the machines are effective and that they add value to our national security framework. The Committee is presently considering submissions made by a number of privacy advocacy organisations, the Department and concerned citizens. It is expected to report before the bill is debated during the Budget session of the Parliament.

The Coalition will consider its final position on the deployment of body scanners at international departure points at our airports once the Committee has reported to the Parliament.
The budget session is the next sitting week, 8-10 May. At least now we have a reporting date for the house inquiry which matches that set for the senate inquiry. Another month before we can see the reports from the two inquiries and parliament debates the bill.

I hear back from the Shadow Minister, but not from the Minister or my own senators or representative...
Himeno is offline  
Old Apr 11, 2012, 2:09 am
  #74  
 
Join Date: Mar 2011
Posts: 84
Do you think getting a change.org petition or speaking to getup.org would bring some enough attention to this to prompt a greater response from the members or parliament?
AnnaBeth is offline  
Old Apr 11, 2012, 3:51 am
  #75  
 
Join Date: Jul 2007
Programs: QFF
Posts: 5,304
Originally Posted by AnnaBeth
Do you think getting a change.org petition or speaking to getup.org would bring some enough attention to this to prompt a greater response from the members or parliament?
If you'd like to get something like that set up I'll sign it. Though the petition would have to be widespread (eg, media coverage) otherwise I don't see it going anywhere.
Himeno is offline  

Thread Tools
Search this Thread

Contact Us - Manage Preferences - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Terms of Service -

This site is owned, operated, and maintained by MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. Copyright © 2024 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Designated trademarks are the property of their respective owners.