Australian Greens Senator Sarah Hanson-Young tweets on the Gillard government’s selective outrage: Would the govt be talking about passports & charges if [Murdoch’s] The Oz had got their hands on the leaks given to WikiLeaks first? I think not.
Showing all posts tagged Australia
Rudd misses main message of Wikileaks dump
Australia’s Foreign Minister Kevin Rudd doesn’t seem to understand the paradigm shift of the Wikileaks release. His answer is more secrecy, less transparency and less democracy. He may find himself more shocked in the months and years ahead. Here’s hoping: Kevin Rudd has suggested the United States “tighten things up a bit” following the publishing…
Leading Australian politician defends Wikileaks
Australian Federal independent MP Andrew Wilkie: Mr Wilkie believes WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has not broken any US or Australian laws in publishing the documents. “It’s not Assange’s fault that this information is leaking out of the [US] administration – it’s the administration’s fault.”
New South Wales Greens embrace BDS
At its State Delegates Council meeting held on the weekend in Sydney, the NSW Greens unanimously endorsed the following proposal: That the Greens NSW call upon all Australians and the Australian government to boycott Israeli goods, trading and military arrangements, and sporting, cultural and academic events as a contribution to the struggle to end Israel’s…
Supporting Assange and Wikileaks because shooting the messenger ain’t the answer
While the Australian political elites are desperate to do Washington’s bidding even without too much pressure – “how high would you like us to jump, sir? More wars in the Middle East? Why, of course, we’ve always enjoyed killing Arabs” – there’s finally some movement and support from important quarters. One: Australia’s political leaders are…
Australia likes the role of regional bully rather well
No wonder Australia is so upset over Wikileaks; released cables show a government keen to keep military options (aka US fire-power) on the table. And Canberra’s enthusiasm for special forces in Pakistan is another worrying sign that “fighting terrorism” knows no limits, legalities or bounds: Kevin Rudd warned Hillary Clinton to be prepared to use…
Australia shows true colours over Wikileaks (and the look is bad)
If the Australian government thinks it can simply do Washinton’s bidding and not pay a price they have another thing coming. Public campaign on its way. So much for a “progressive” Labor regime: Julian Assange is being investigated by Australian police to establish whether he has broken any of the country’s laws and is liable…
The deep love between Canada and Israel
Fascinating Al-Jazeera/Avi Lewis documentary on the incestuous relationship between Israel and Canada. Australia take note. Defending every Israeli action – war, occupation, humiliation – simply makes you look like a clueless idiot with no principle. But at least Washington will love you:
Does the Australian government work for its own citizens?
There is a battle looming between a subservient Australian government and its American benefactor: Prominent human rights lawyer Julian Burnside told The Sunday Age Mr Assange’s reference to Mr Hicks was apt, given the government’s apparent enthusiasm to assist the US rather than an Australian citizen. But he said he ”wouldn’t be surprised” if Mr…
ABCTV News24 on Wikileaks cablegate
Following my analysis on ABC this week about the Wikileaks story (353 comments and counting) I was invited onto ABC TV News24’s The Drum on Thursday to discuss my criticism of the media’s coverage. Alongside ABC’s Leigh Sales and Annabel Crabb and The Daily Telegraph’s Joe Hilderbrand (video here for two weeks) I argued that…