As the shock waves of yesterday’s Federal Police raid on the ABC — following a similar raid on News Corp editor Annika Smethurst shortly before — continue to be felt, readers took to the comments to discuss the implications on Australia’s press freedom. As was pointed out, this goes beyond the media. Elsewhere, readers considered the future moves the Greens may take.
On the AFP media raids
Marcus Hicks writes: Notice they were too scared to exercise these powers back in 2017 and 2018, respectively. Now they know they’ve got another three years to screw the nation over, they’re more than happy to go full Gestapo on the media… even the ones who supported them in the recent election.
Gregory Bailey: This government will increasingly be interventionary in support of selected corporations and rent seekers, and whilst this might seem to violate neoliberal purists, it is really what neoliberal political-economy is about: crony capitalism of the worst kind. Part of this involves limiting civil liberties at a time when the majority of the population finally see what certain economist foresaw in the mid-eighties. Where the whole thing will collapse is in the diminution of aggregate demand due to stagnant wages and productivity.
John Richardson writes: Perhaps the Prime Minister and the leader of the opposition could explain why it is that their number one priority in upholding our nation’s laws appears to be to intimidate, persecute and prosecute those who would have the decency and integrity to expose criminal behaviour?
On the Greens
Roger Clifton writes: If the Greens platform restricts itself to broad statements of principle, they can be interpreted on the fly as the occasion demands. This gives freedoms to the candidates as they make promises before an election, and then freedom to act as spokesmen for emerging environmental issues as mounting climate disasters bite. Here is one emerging opportunity for leadership that mainly the Greens can see, and an area that the public expects the Greens to competently address.
Send your comments, corrections, clarifications and cock-ups to boss@crikey.com.au. We reserve the right to edit comments for length and clarity. Please include your full name if you would like to be considered for publication
What did that poor pop star sing somewhere in the 80’s ..Hang the DJ ,I think ..Well ,the Australian MSM have left Julian Assange out to hang ..So ,I say ,hang the lot of ’em until they find enough rope to save themselves and perhaps Assange too..
Looks as if the Greens need to get where Pauline and Clive did well and explain our plight if they vote in this way next time .dreadful that we can not get global climate crisis into some brains over the next three years
For those infuriated by the brain dead ModBot’s vagaries, here is a reply I received when asking why they removed3 of my criticisms of it –
I’ve had to remove the key word else the mindless machine will again swoop.
Thank you for your message. Your comment was placed in moderation as it picked up the ‘%%%%%’ part of the word oxy%%%%%. Unfortunately our system doesn’t recognise that it is a separate word and will pick up any word that has ‘%%%%%’ formed in it. Due to issues in the past with our comment sections, we have a strict system in place to moderate all of our comments to protect our users. Which in turn means that sometimes comments that don’t need moderating will be picked up as well. Unfortunately this is out of our control.
Please allow up to 24 hours for comments to go through moderation from the time you post your comment.
To read more about our moderation guidelines, please visit here.
Note the couldn’t care less mea culpa near the end Unfortunately this is out of our control which suggests that there are no sentient soft machines in the bunker.