[POLITICS] Australian Federal Police raid ABC news with warrant to alter and delete documents

[Fieldy409_v1legacy]

https://www.abc.net.au/news/about/backstory/investigative-journalism/2019-06-08/federal-police-raid-abc-office-john-lyons-live-tweeting/11192898?fbclid=IwAR26eyPkd7YMfbHs7IgS58fOascD4OxMQQHTEULgEIJQksEIVRI1gOPr7X8

So the AFP(Australian Federal Police) conducted a raid on the ABC(Australian Broadcasting Corporation). The AFP brought a warrant allowing for the deletion or altering of ABC documents.

So check this shit out. I'm of two minds on this issue, on the one hand its pretty scary that they have this power of censorship, on the other maybe they did have a legit concern for some sort of security leak on something important not to be spread around.

Plus the cynic in me notices it was done immediately after an election, which would be good strategy for a government knowing its doing something dodgy looking to give us maximum time to forget about it before the next election.

This might be the first police raid ever to be live tweeted, it's almost a shame it wasn't livestreamed lol but I guess they couldn't risk certain sensitive info being put out there while the cops look at it.

It would be rather concerning for any informants wishing to remain anonymous, you told the news about something going on? Well the cops can apparently use their power to find out who you are if you revealed that to the ABC.

This is real censorship, when the government comes in with cops and starts deleting and altering your documents, if you interrupted they'd arrest you. It's not like when some guy just deletes a braindead youtube comment calling somebody a fag or something.

Theres long been talk that the ABC is biased against the Liberal party here(who are conservative to any Americans) and I feel like the Liberals have been itching to do this for a long time.

There is an argument to censoring information that might cause trouble like military or spying info. After all it would be terrible if the front page of the news was about how the guy who mows some warlords lawns is our spy and he gets gutted with a machete. But how do we know they aren't just trying to censor anything they don't like?

 

[Trunkage]

I'd point out that they made a new law last year so they could do this. The warning from journalist at the time was: exactly what happened. I'd also point out that they targeted a News Corp journalist first who broke the story and I don't know how the ABC journalists are involved.

But I'd agree. Liberals have been like Trump. If any criticism from ABC happens against the Liberal party, it's FAKE NEWS. I am surprised that Australia MPs beat Trump. Trump has only blocked access to a bunch of journalists. He hasn't gone this far. But... I think that Trump has defeated the MMS (except obviously FOX) because nothing can stick to him, no matter his crimes.

I do watch Insiders, the political program on ABC. They do have commentators from across the spectrum. I would say its pretty unbiased. What changes is who is in power. When Insiders criticises Labour when in power its all good. But if they do it to Liberals... 'those lefties are so mean.' And it been happening since Howard. It's one of the things I've always held against him. It made him look like a petulant child.

 

[bluegate]

What were they looking for?

 

[Fieldy409_v1legacy]

What were they looking for?

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-06-05/abc-raided-by-australian-federal-police-afghan-files-stories/11181162

We don't know exactly, they left with sealed in bags USB drives with password protection on them. ABC lawyers get to look at them and given a chance to protest before the cops can have them apparently.

Apparently It's something to do with a leak in the military that is alleging that Australian special forces murdered some people in Afghanistan. Considering its a leak in the military they are problem out to jail the guys who leaked it for treason or something.

Back in 2017 this leak happened mind you.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-07-11/killings-of-unarmed-afghans-by-australian-special-forces/

 

[Kwak]

The claim by the police is they are two unconnected separate cases - one was a supposedly classified proposal to change the law to allow spying powers on Australian citizens in certain cases, which didn't come to anything. However, obviously in the public interest.
And the abc one was about the reporting of alleged special forces abuses in Afghanistan, also obviously in the public interest.
They waited until our bloviating leader was out of the country, so a lot of the questioning he would otherwise have to face is impossible.
I remember how they bullied the labor party into passing the law with barely time to properly review it, teasing them with the old reliable lie - what are you, some kind of weak pussy on national security or something you fags? - or words to that effect.
This is just blatant fascism from a group of sinister scum who have been determined to cheat democracy and have weakened our system with every law they passed.

 

[Leg End]

I remember how they bullied the labor party into passing the law with barely time to properly review it, teasing them with the old reliable lie - what are you, some kind of weak pussy on national security or something you fags? - or words to that effect.

Something closer to this, perhaps?

 

[Gergar12_v1legacy]

Googles company, finds out it's not Rupert Murdoch's company.

Damn it.

That being said it's a long trend of even western governments going after journalists. Soon one day we will all be in an Orwellian state where we are either monitored online, or monitored both online, and in the real world. For many, it's already both.

 

[Trunkage]

Googles company, finds out it's not Rupert Murdoch's company.

I'm pretty sure he is still CEO

 

[Kwak]

There's News Corp (murdoch/fox) and Fairfax, which is 9/packer.

 

[Fieldy409_v1legacy]

The ABC is like the BBC(British Broadcasting Corporation) it's government owned but it's still supposed to be independent.

 

[Gordon_4_v1legacy]

Oh boy. I have been reading about this. I am honestly of two minds. Obviously most of this information has to come from leaks within the Department of Defense. Leaks that undoubtedly are in breach of the Crimes Act. And we are none of us above the law.

Yet both matters: additional spying powers for the security services and frankly what are possibly war crimes committed by the Special Air Service Regiment are of supreme public interest.

 

[Neurotic Void Melody]

Yeah, it is pretty worrying abuse of power for sure. The thing is, almost everytime a government oversteps boundaries in this way, they almost always defend it with "but mah national security tho!" Every. Damn. Time. [small]Almost.[/small] Just like any conservative power grab is justified by some awful nationalist bullshit with varying levels of blatant disrespect for public intelligence and varying levels of success in that assumption. That trick of trying to push law through quickly without enough time for effective review from opposition, usually coinciding with other such attempts at either browbeating or misdirection to amplify effect happens here a fair bit too. It's usually complicated, but am being simple for the sake of brevity really. But i can't recommended giving these people any benefit of the doubt from such action. Too many others have gotten away with similar and worse due to that, it's what they depend on.

 

[Trunkage]

Yeah, it is pretty worrying abuse of power for sure. The thing is, almost everytime a government oversteps boundaries in this way, they almost always defend it with "but mah national security tho!" Every. Damn. Time. [small]Almost.[/small] Just like any conservative power grab is justified by some awful nationalist bullshit with varying levels of blatant disrespect for public intelligence and varying levels of success in that assumption. That trick of trying to push law through quickly without enough time for effective review from opposition, usually coinciding with other such attempts at either browbeating or misdirection to amplify effect happens here a fair bit too. It's usually complicated, but am being simple for the sake of brevity really. But i can't recommended giving these people any benefit of the doubt from such action. Too many others have gotten away with similar and worse due to that, it's what they depend on.

I would point to Australia's policy on boat people for further examples. I mean, I can understand that turning back boats are working. Great. Keep that up. How is locking up people in internment camps for 7 years working?

 

[Neurotic Void Melody]

I would point to Australia's policy on boat people for further examples. I mean, I can understand that turning back boats are working. Great. Keep that up. How is locking up people in internment camps for 7 years working?

Oh yeah, have seen a fair bit about those. To be honest, the government here would do similar if they thought they could get away with it. Australian lawmakers just seem to be off their inhibiting medication when it comes to these matters.

 

[Fieldy409_v1legacy]

I would point to Australia's policy on boat people for further examples. I mean, I can understand that turning back boats are working. Great. Keep that up. How is locking up people in internment camps for 7 years working?

Because if you shunt everyone to an offshore detention centre and then never actually solve the problem, you still get to say you've stopped the boat people from arriving on Australia, which is technically true and good publicity. But When Australias still paying for the problem and the humanitarian issues still exist, its not really solved but misleading us with half truths is good enough.