Christmas Islanders fear the remote detention facility will be Australia's very own "Guantanamo Bay."

David Bernie, a speaker from the NSW Council for Civil Liberties, said. "We are seeing a big change. Now, ASIO questioning warrants, people subject to those are not allowed to talk about it for two years. Now, this is automatic, and it is automatic irrespective of whether there is any need for secrecy or not. So ASIO doesn't have to apply for any gag order, the gag order applies automatically. Its stops not only that person talking about it, but their lawyer talking about or the media talking about it."

"It was an extraordinary premeditated attack on the Senate committee system and effectively made the committee system a farce," said Senator Brown. Others, including the Australian Law Council, have expressed concerns about the scope of the proposed bill.

According to Mediawatch, Abdul Elayoubi of the Lebanese Muslim Association was approached by Tim Noonan, a freelance film producer wanting to produce a short documentary to air on the Seven Network. Mr Elayoubi was cautious because of a prior misrepresentation, however was assured that the program would "show Australians from non-Islamic backgrounds the viewpoint of young Muslims and the pressure they face in an often hostile society", according to a letter from Peter Meakin, the Seven Network's head of news and current affairs. Elayoubi said "Tim told us he'd be doing the editing himself and would give it to Channel 7 completed," and was assured that quotes would not be taken out of context to further vilify Australian Muslims.

Protesting her innocence, Schapelle Corby maintains the contraband was placed in her luggage by airport workers allegedly involved in a drug running operation. Ms. Corby staggered and paused to vomit, as she was led through a throng of journalists watching her trial for marijuana possession in Jakarta, Indonesia, earlier today.

The report, entitled "Australians speak 2005: public opinion and foreign policy" (downloadable PDF file), showed that global warming and nuclear proliferation were greater foreign policy concerns than terrorism and illegal immigration. 70 per cent of Australians were worried about global warming, the report stated, while only 63 per cent were worried about international terrorism. The report also stated that most Australians believed improving the global environment should be Australia's number one foreign policy goal.

Mr Howard justified the reversal of policy as being in the "broader interests of democracy in the Middle East". He also explained that the decision came in response to requests from British and Japanese leaders.