"The protecting human rights justification that could be used by a journalist may, in fact, endanger the life of a classified source".

Since when does such cloak-and-dagger hocus pocus really apply in fact? As if they're leaking the reported tactical details of a reconnaissance patrol outside Tobruk, 1941, and giving away mapped positions of Australian units? As if the system's classified intelligence is so effective and competent anyway!

Pete missed another aspect motivating investigation and prosecution for such leaks: the public gets an idea of how the system actually uses its budget treasure and other privileges, as well as the actual quality of the work. That would be the most serious crime in the apoparatchik's view.

The politicization of these apparatchiks was well proved by the Downer-Bolt precedent - when those two were all but immune to due process - around the Wilkie case. Leaked documents indeed.

Peter Coates gives a pretty weak and one-sided defence of the authorities in this case. The newspaper gained some benefits? So what?

The real issue is the public benefit. Coates is too coy on that essential issue and too keen to support the old boys in the security club.

Leaks occur all the time but this one seems 'special'. If every leak was treated the same way there's be raids every second day.

"I suspect it would have come at the end of a long series of official and unofficial requests by the Australian Federal Police, Attorney-General's and other Commonwealth bodies"...and when Rudd was out of the country. Just to be sure there'd be no political backlash. Something's afoot and it's called Grubby Politicking. Howard was not immune to it either.

"A potential problem is that if a leak and publication is allowed to occur this will encourage other officials or political staffers to leak documents". Too bloody right!! Where would politics be without selective leaks? You seem to forget it goes both ways.

No leaks, no newspaper sales. No currying favour with the media, no positive coverage. A nod and a wink, a scratch on the back, off-the-record interviews parlayed into juicy news items - are you saying all this isn't part of everyday politics in local, state and federal spheres?

"However, I understand that a headline and even a court case can help a journalist's career". Oh that's a wonderful put-down Peter. Look at the bright side, in other words. All very comforting to your run-of-the-mill whistleblower, eh? Imagine if the news was somewhat important?

The government's got a leak and it's embarrassed. Philip Dorling was in the wrong place at the wrong time and mealy-mouthed justifications are part and parcel of the process.

On reflection, the latest panic over Dorling would more likely relate to the leaked internal air force damnation of the JSF (and less directly, the Super-Hornet). I mean, that other case would justify and act as cover for both the fishing expedition and the communications surveillance leading up to it.

As a reminder, this following excerpt of my comments on another forum, just to spread the lerv:

"An instructive case for comparison is the procurement of fighter jets. For example, Indonesia began its state-of-the-art Sukhoi acquisition via a barter deal with Russia, including even palm oil and rice trade, if I’m not mistaken! By contrast, the toady-snobs and covert racists of Australia’s Howard regime snared this country into perhaps the most fictitious aircraft procurement in history. Welcome to the JSF, a project no doubt based around foul-smelling "projected revenue streams" and fantasies of future market pig-outs.

Well done, d|(khe@ds! I suppose that means we’ll get to see blubber-guts Joe Hockey (not his real name) back on the Kokoda track, but armed this time?

Traitors. Cowards. Usurers."

As you imply Peter it is all a matter of judgement. Until the AFP raid few people outside of the ACT were aware of the story. Perhaps because of his DFAT background Rudd has been prepared to let Keelty have his head. McClelland, Debus and Fitzgibbon all burning at about 40 watts - way out of their depth.
No love lost between Keelty and the clique around him at the AFP and Dorling and the Canberra Times.
Had Keelty not put the boots in, the story would have slipped into the great void that most other reports of interest seem to fall into in Australia.
The best way to handle this particular leak was to ignore it. No one was likely to confirm the information that Dorling claimed was the real McCoy. Maybe the information was true maybe it was not.
And why would a person of Dorling's intelligence keep bits of paper around his house?
Keelty's clumsy raid was as usual over kill(he also burns at around 40 Watts). As a result he has given the claims a credibilty that they otherwise lacked.
Nothing in the Dorling story would have raised any eyebrows amongst those who engage in the activities alleged.
As I say it is an issue of judgement and might I say maturity.
Bruce Haigh

Thanks for your comments guys – all written in good faith. However I disagree on many points:

Mil-observer

You ask “Since when does such cloak-and-dagger hocus pocus really apply in fact?” It has in the past. Take Philip Agee http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philip_Agee “Agee became somewhat of a minor celebrity in the United Kingdom after the publication of Inside the Company...as well as an MI6 report that blamed Agee’s work for the execution of two MI6 agents in Poland,…” I am naturally unaware of Australian cases.

You say “ the public gets an idea of how the system actually uses its budget treasure and other privileges, as well as the actual quality of the work.” Didn’t apply in this case.

I agree Downer’s attempt to discredit Richard Wilkie by organising the leaking of Richard’s confidential ONA assessment was a typical low-life act. Nothing like Parliamentary Privilege to protect our Lordly Betters.

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Spikey

“weak and one-sided defence of the authorities” you say. Well it’s a better defence than the Canberra Times (CT) has put up of its calculated attempt to score a headline. Basically it is the Canberra that needs to explain itself.

As I’ve said just because a staff reporter scores some documents doesn’t give a paper the intrinsic RIGHT to publish.

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bennie

“Leaks occur all the time but this one seems 'special'. If every leak was treated the same way there's be raids every second day”

The fact that the CT made an issue and presumably a profit by harping on the Confidential nature of the documents it scored is probably half the problem.

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Bruce

Yes police concentrating on a leak can indeed publicise it further but here the CT was pushing things - nations capital - full of foreign dips - home of the AFP, AGs etc. I have various theories why they moved on Dorling - making an example - deterring further wouldbe leakers may indeed come into it http://www.smh.com.au/news/opinion/raid-smacks-of-revenge/2008/09/27/1222217582568.html.

Yet the CT needs a better defence.

Pete