By MARK PEARSON Follow @Journlaw
My speech to the Pacific Journalism Review 20th Anniversary conference in Auckland, on November 27, 2014 was titled: ‘Suppression, sentences, surveillance, security and cynical spin: Is Australia an emerging Secret State?’
You can read an abridged version of that speech in The Conversation here.
You can also hear the full audio of my presentation here.
In it I track the first year in office the Abbott Government, where it has:
- blocked the media from information on the important human rights issue of the fate of asylum seekers
- initiated major budget cuts on the publicly funded ABC
- used anti-terror laws to win a ‘super injunction’ on court proceedings that might damage its international relations
- ramped up surveillance powers of national security agencies and banning reporting of security operations
- proposed increased jail terms for leaks about security matters
- moved to stop not-for-profits advocating against government policy in their service agreements
- abolished the Office of the Information Commissioner for abolition, promising tardy FOI appeals
- proposed the taxing of telcos to pay for its new surveillance measures, potentially a modern version of licensing the press.
Australia has at least purported to be an exemplar of media freedom, transparency and good governance throughout the region, but continues to censor those who teach and counsel on those initiatives throughout the region. Here is the standard gag clause from the most current ($3 million Transparency International) contract:
My conclusion is that Australia might not be a secret state like North Korea but it is certainly moving towards a “state of secrecy” and it is doing so with no constitutional brake in our country on censorship.
It is now sending a mixed message to the region on free expression, transparency and good governance.
You can read an abridged version of that speech in The Conversation here.
You can also hear the full audio of my presentation here.
© Mark Pearson 2014
Disclaimer: While I write about media law and ethics, nothing here should be construed as legal advice. I am an academic, not a lawyer. My only advice is that you consult a lawyer before taking any legal risks.
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