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The Forum > Article Comments > Protected source > Comments

Protected source : Comments

By Bruce Haigh, published 29/3/2011

Mark Arbib was a 'protected source' to the US, but what exactly does that mean, and how protected was he when his name made it to Wikileaks.

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The US (and they are not alone) continue along the strategy of undue interference and influence in international affairs. There is nothing 'wrong' ostensibly in politicians hobnobbing and talking to US officials, however one wonders the implications in those talks if about to bring down your own Prime Minister.

Perhaps those who meet with the US do so not to gain support but merely warning, for example, of a possible change of leadership. I am not a fan of Arbib but what were his intentions? Was his behaviour purely career oriented or was it altruistic?

So far as the Australian public are aware, there does not seem to be any undue influence in this matter but what in other areas of policy? You only have to look at free trade and the abhorrent idea of compensatory measures to companies that do not profit, or undue influence over regulation and governance to suit overseas business interests.

Would any of us even know if there have been cases similar to the pressure (retaliation) the US sourgt on Europe for their previous anti-GMO stance as revealed by Wikileaks. The anti-GMO lobby and those who argue for more honest labelling are pitiful voices compared to those of large corporations who bring pressure to bear on their governments in some warped sense of patriotic self-interest - stuff the rights and sovereignty of anyone else.

Transparent government is needed more than ever otherwise democracy is at risk of being hijacked completely by elite interest groups.
Posted by pelican, Tuesday, 29 March 2011 9:00:06 AM
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Developing on Pelican's comment and the article, I should mention Joan Coxsedge, the former Victorian Labor politician, and her thesis that our political parties (therefore system)are well-infiltrated by those recruited by a foreign power.
According to this, with Labor, the infiltration has occurred mainly with right wing unions, with their heavy catholic influence, dating back to the times of Cardinal Mannix and the "groupers", during the Cold War, when the country was awash with paranoia about "communist plots".
People often wonder at the decline of our politics over the last generation.
I wonder, if people get to high places with agendas contrary to their stated ones when electioneering, what damage they can do when time comes for consideration of issues, in undermining objective consideration of these when possible outcomes clash with the narrow interests of foreign powers.
Posted by paul walter, Tuesday, 29 March 2011 11:25:58 AM
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Just to add a bit of context about Arbib matter from the press-Wikileaks relationship.

The Australian reported in a December 10, 2010 article http://www.theaustralian.com.au/in-depth/wikileaks/us-espionage-trial-endgame-for-julian-assange/story-fn775xjq-1225967923486

"New embassy cables, released by WikiLeaks to Fairfax newspapers today, reveal the influential right-wing Labor MP has been one of the embassy's best ALP informants, along with former frontbencher Bob McMullan and current MP Michael Danby.

The documents say the Minister for Sport had been secretly offering details of Labor's inner workings even before his election to the Senate in 2007, dating back to his time as general secretary of the party's NSW branch from 2004."

It has some significance that Arbib as a Sydney based Labor Party official meeting US diplomates (from the US Embassy or perhaps the US Consulate in Sydney) - that is outside of Canberra political-diplomatic circuit.

The Australian quotes the US diplomat(s) as saying "He has met with us repeatedly throughout his political rise."

However references to Arbib form only a small part of the article in the Australian, implying journalists didn't see Arbib's background chat with US diplomats as particularly unusual.

Also significant that the US placed Arbib's name in standard diplomatic cable traffic implying that the US saw him as a useful politician to know whose words did not need unusual protection.
Posted by plantagenet, Tuesday, 29 March 2011 12:40:43 PM
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Argrib is just another of the sleezy NSW labor cabal that have knifed elected and unelected PMs and Premiers across Australia.

Argrib is both just another labor fool, liar and betrayer.

I bet the US have already assessed that.
Posted by keith, Tuesday, 29 March 2011 3:46:42 PM
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Hi Keith

I don't know about "Argrib" but the yanks, at least, have valued Arbib, for years.

To stay in power and "do good" (as they see it) I think all sides of politics, since about 4,000 BC, have used deception.

Meanwhile "moral" extremists, be they One Nation or the Greens, at the other end of the pole, will soon find themselves voted out.

Pete
Posted by plantagenet, Tuesday, 29 March 2011 4:58:20 PM
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