Penny Wright (SA, Australian Greens) Share this | Hansard source

Today on the 800th anniversary of the Magna Carta, it still stands as a powerful symbol for the rule of law and against the arbitrary use of power. Most importantly, the Magna Carta affirmed that no-one was above the law so that all authorities—even despotic kings—were subject to and beneath the law. It also prohibited the arbitrary and illegal detention of people. How alarming it is, then, to have witnessed how often this parliament has passed legislation that undermines these very principles in recent years. On this significant anniversary, we should recommit to defending the tenor of the Magna Carta not only in principle but in practice, as we consider the laws that we make here.