**WHEN:** 11am Tuesday 1 December
**WHERE:** On the Parliament House lawns, out front of Parliament House
**VISION:** Shots of the politicians receiving the petition; press conference immediately following
Member for Clark Andrew Wilkie said:
"The ASIO Amendment Bill is yet another piece of legislation put forward by the Federal Government that runs roughshod over the civil liberties and personal freedoms of Australian citizens. The Australian community would be appalled to hear that, if this bill passes, children as young as 14 could be questioned about terrorism offences, or that secret tracking and surveillance devices could be placed on people without a warrant from a judge.
"Of course national security is a complex business that requires a sophisticated response. But this bill is frankly alarming at best and dangerous at worst. It has the hallmarks of what you’d find in a pre-police state."
Greens Senator Lidia Thorpe said:
“Peter Dutton’s ASIO bill is an attack on all of us. With these laws Peter Dutton could use ASIO to attack and spy on anyone he’s threatened by, including grassroots community activists and journalists.
"The Greens absolutely oppose Dutton’s power grab. It’s the activism of everyday people, like GetUp’s members, that keep our democracy healthy and the government accountable.”
Media contact: Alex McKinnon 0411 829 334
Spokespeople:
Andrew Wilkie, independent Member for Clark
Lidia Thorpe, Greens Senator for Victoria
Chandi Bates, campaigner at GetUp