<story><title>Australia’s status as an open democracy downgraded by The CIVICUS Monitor</title><url>https://www.hrlc.org.au/news/2019/12/5/downgrading-of-australias-open-democracy-status-a-stark-reminder-of-the-need-to-create-an-australian-charter-of-human-rights-and-freedoms</url></story><parent_chain></parent_chain><comment><author>RVuRnvbM2e</author><text>Yeah the current government has been accelerating an authoritarian slide unencumbered by a bill of rights. Neither major party supports such a document and without it you get bullshit like this recent secret trial and imprisonment:&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https:&amp;#x2F;&amp;#x2F;mobile.abc.net.au&amp;#x2F;news&amp;#x2F;2019-11-21&amp;#x2F;canberra-prisoner-prompts-secrecy-debate&amp;#x2F;11726654&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;https:&amp;#x2F;&amp;#x2F;mobile.abc.net.au&amp;#x2F;news&amp;#x2F;2019-11-21&amp;#x2F;canberra-prisoner-...&lt;/a&gt;</text></comment>
<story><title>Australia’s status as an open democracy downgraded by The CIVICUS Monitor</title><url>https://www.hrlc.org.au/news/2019/12/5/downgrading-of-australias-open-democracy-status-a-stark-reminder-of-the-need-to-create-an-australian-charter-of-human-rights-and-freedoms</url></story><parent_chain></parent_chain><comment><author>WilTimSon</author><text>As I was reading, I was about to pipe up with &amp;quot;oh, prosecuting whistleblowers and intimidating journalists? I hope the US and the UK are in the same boat&amp;quot; but yup, they are, according to the CIVICUS map. I see no reason to disagree.&lt;p&gt;I do have to say I&amp;#x27;m surprised that Canada is considered &amp;#x27;open&amp;#x27;. I don&amp;#x27;t know much about their politics, are things really good there on all those points? Also, highly amused by Russia only being &amp;#x27;Repressed&amp;#x27;, the past few years of news from that place seem anything but democratic.</text></comment>