A general shift towards a more authoritarian form of governance is becoming apparent to a broader section of the populace. No longer are people blindly turning their heads away with carefree statements, such as, “I’ve got nothing to hide,” as they’ve become aware that surveillance laws have made such inroads into their private lives that they literally have nothing left to secret away. The transformation of Australia into the world’s most secretive democracy, as the New York Times put it, has been facilitated by the bipartisan passing of over 90 pieces of national security/counterterrorism legislation since the 2001 9/11 attacks were perpetrated in New York. Despite the stated aim of these laws being terrorists – specifically those of the Islamic variety – local civil liberties advocates have long been warning that these laws are incrementally eroding the rights of all citizens and residents. And the practical understanding that these laws can be turned on the general populace has really taken hold under the current Morrison government, as its term in office has been marked by press raids, political prosecutions, the targeting of critics and a retreat into opaque rule.

Source: The Morrison Government’s Term Has Shown Terror Laws Target Us All