Well what could we do?

The Australian electoral system entrenches the absolute rule of a single party, which for the irony of calling Australia a "democracy", is constructed of two flanks: one flank would sell us to China, the other to America. No matter what we want or do, one or the other had to be elected.

This ruling party naturally legislates to fortify its rule against the Australian people, with the aim that in future, once it sends tanks to shoot down protesters, nobody will dare to speak about it.

A massive knee-jerk and whine by the Left. The media has far too much self-regard; it is untrustworthy and not to be believed much of the time. It thinks that it is above the law. It needed a good shake up to show it that it is not - particularly the ABC, which is not interested in other people's freedoms, just its own.

One notes, this war on the freedom of the press was left for around a year and only brought on after the federal election!

And defended stoutly by minister Dutton, who as usual talked over any criticism of the leader of the opposition/anybody else. And reminiscent of a police state that nobody not in the minority privileged class would want to live in!

What's next in a nation where our rights and freedom are gradually worn away and replaced by sanctioned bigotry?

It is long past time when we had a charter of rights that not even the most DICTATORIAL MINISTER, CAN FLOUT!

If a few bad apples have somehow gotten past the checks and balances in our elite armed forces, and subsequently committed alleged war crimes?

Then there has to be a light shone on it rather than hidden or swept under some bureaucratic carpet?

We are not Nazis (yet) and this is not a police state (yet)!?
Alan B.

One wonders how any of the disclosures mentioned might impinge on Australia's security or even why those matters have the security status given to them, other than to suggest that it is to protect bums from public scrutiny.
I presume that the primary aim of the raids was to discover the sources of the leaks from within the defence department. Considering the means now available to enable these sources to be traced, the spooks might need to lift their game and not go terrorising the fourth estate.
David

Thousands of Anzacs lie buried in marked and unmarked graves sacrificing everything, including their sanity to prevent us from becoming a police state!
Was the sacrifice of millions of lives PTS and billions in treasure and demolished property, all sacrificed in vain!? Jackie.

WE STAND ALONE AS THE ONLY " DEMOCRACY" THAT DOES NOT HAVE A BILL OF IRREVOCABLE RIGHTS!

We should have just such a charter! And proven by the raids on the allegedly free press!

Thankfully, no party, even those who want to sell us to China or America, has an absolute rule in our parliament and has to answer to the house of review, the Senate.

Which should grow both a spine and a pair of testicles, and pass a motion requiring a bill of rights be put to a referendum. Rights that now sadly, must include a citizen's initiated referendum and guaranteed freedom of the fourth estate!

A Citizens initiated referendum, could under some circumstances, force a MALICIOUS SECRETIVE rogue government to face the people and an early election! tIME FOR THE PRESS TO UNDERSTAND, IT'S THEIR FIGHT FOR THEIR RIGHTS, FIRST AND FOREMOST! AND CHOSE A SIDE!
Alan B.

If the media networks and journalists have not broken any laws, they have nothing to fear. However, the ABC, in particular, has never done anything that would suggest it is not up to no good, and let's not forget their bias against, and hatred of, non-Left governments.

Well now...doesn't this show all the signs of an exercise straight out of a Chinese security operative text book. I don't see too much Uncle Sam in it.

And further, there is an Australian journalist who has recently served jail time after a persecution process performed on him by 7media.

Looks like the boot changes feet, and the mob cry foul.

If I had my way, the ABC would be shut and barred up long ago, and sold off for its real estate value, which is truthfully, the most of its value!
As for Murdoch press...we'll where is the difference? One stupid ideology or the other...some choice, not!

But of course I'm biased. Not possessing a television or radio, and a non consumer of main stream propaganda newspapers, I don't care what the AFP do to main stream journalists, they won't be missed.

Dan

Never noted much sympathy for those put through the wringer with 18c. Funny how the same entities supporting 18c react to an ingress upon their own freedom. Karma!

Considering the troubles journalists cause it wasn't a minute before time !
It wouldn't be so bad if all they did was reporting what is happening but to resort to utter exaggeration, utter misquoting, utter rubbish & pushing their opinions rather than report News then yes, it's time to curb their insidious doings !

You wouldn't have to dig too deeply to find a couple of dozen traitorous conspirators in the ABC.

Once found & jailed, the next thing is to go after the board & senior executives who must know what is happening. A few years for that lot would bring the ABC back to some kind of usefulness.

Of course the best thing to do with the ABC is to give it to the staff, without subsidies. Trying to make a commercial go of it would first destroy their extreme egos, then send them bankrupt. A fitting end for them & the organisation.

Who are the media movers?

Americas White Saviours.

https://www.tabletmag.com/jewish-news-and-politics/284875/americas-white-saviors.

*…As “woke” ideology has accelerated, a growing faction of white liberals have pulled away from the average opinions held by the rest of the coalition of Democratic voters—including minority groups in the party. The revolution in moral sentiment among this one segment of American voters has led to a cascade of consequences ranging from changes in the norms and attitudes expressed in media and popular culture, to the adoption of new political rhetoric and electoral strategies of the Democratic Party. (NB) *Nor has this occurred in a vacuum on the left as the initiatives set in motion by white liberals have, in turn, provoked responses and countermeasures from conservatives and Republicans*…*

So right here, with raids directly confronting the heart of this group, the media base, (particularly the ABC). The raids may simply be a conservative response to Australias own brand of white ultra liberal vandalising masochistic “woke”, ultra liberal phenomena.

This is the very same band of Labor/Green renegades responsible for the vandalism of society with gay rights.
The attack force against Christianity (and Jews). And the defence league of minorities, adding radical outcomes to whatever the minority cause.

Dan.

High paid public servants leaking to the press deserve everything they get. What happened to confidential clauses? A football player quotes a Scripture on his private social media and gets sacked. Public servants should not be immune to prosecution especially when it comes to leaking to the Marxist on the abc.

If it wassn't for the ABC, Australia would be a police state like China under the control of paranoid people like Dutton et al.
David

"If it wassn't for the ABC, Australia would be a police state like China under the control of paranoid people like Dutton et al.
David".

There have been many wild statements made about the ABC, for and against, but that one takes the cake. Given that less than a third of the public watch or listen to the ABC, it's real lulu. The recent election shows that little notice is taken of it's blatant bias.

Then ABC is just an expensive pain in the arse, whose disappearance would barely be noticed. 80% of the population is just not interested in it.

VK3AUU,
It is because of much of the ABC's doing that Australia is the way it is, extremely close to necessarily needing to be a Police State.

You lot should start to get your brains into gear.
David

"You lot should start to get your brains into gear.
David".

Well done, David. You can't think of a suitable, valid argument, so you try to disparage people who call your opinion into question.

It's easy to throw around stuff like the ABC saving us from being a police state, and Peter Dutton being paranoid, but when it comes to proof and substance, you fall into a heap.

VK3AUU,
Since you're obviously from the ABC why don't you talk to your bosses & ask them to do what our Govt pays them for with our tax Dollars. Way better than just getting all $hitty because you have no other argument !

I actually vote Liberal and I am sick of seeing the party being torn apart by idiots like Abbott and Dutton. Morrison isn't much better, should have stuck with Turnbull.
David

Come on VK3AUU, anyone who wanted Turnbull in the Liberal party actually wanted 2 Labor parties & the country destroyed.

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

Perhaps it is time for you and your police state friends had a good look at where we are heading.

David

Why should the taxpayer funded ABC be immune to investigation on behalf of the taxpayers whose security could well be jeopardised by irresponsible gossipping under the guise of open journalism?

I would still like David to tell us how the ABC, with it's undeniable left-wing bias, is preventing us from becoming a 'police state', and if he is correct, why are both major parties continuing to fund the ABC. All politicians want more power, so why do they support an organisation that David thinks is preventing them from having it?

The ABC could be closed down or completely defunded tomorrow because most Australians are not interested in it, don't use its services, and are not influenced by it. No group of people was more confounded and shocked by the election result than the ABC hacks and stooges.

We do not need the ABC; it is irrelevant and archaic in a free enterprise society. Unless, of course, David can present evidence of it's worth and just how it is preventing Australia from becoming a police state.

VK3AUU, David,

No more to say on the brave ABC's saving us from a police state. Oh, well. Perhaps it's not actually true. Just imagine that!

Perhaps it is time for you and your police state friends had a good look at where we are heading.

VK3AUU,
Looks like you're rather confused because you should be asking yourself that question !

We are not heading for a free society with a free press under this government. Whatever has happened to Habeus Corpus?

David

We are not heading for a free society with a free press under this government.
VK3AUU,
Free in what context ? Free as in being free to be responsible or free as in being free to be irresponsible ?

Osama bin laden would have been killed or captured many years earlier, and with significantly less effort, if it had not been for an idiot journalist publishing in the news media that US intelligence agencies were tracking him using his cell phone signals. In WW2, it was estimated by the US Navy that 600 US submarine seamen were killed by the Japanese Navy, when an the idiot US media released the fact that US submarines could dive to 600 feet, when the Japanese Navy believed that they could only dive to 200 feet. US submarines were almost immune to Japanese Navy depth charge attack until the Japanese Navy hurriedly reset their depth charges.

For what polls are worth, polls have claimed that the press media is trusted by only 31% of the public. This media, which is distrusted by two thirds of the public, is now screaming that they should be above the laws which every other citizen must abide by. One wonders if the laws preventing the publication of court proceedings and police investigations, as well as defamation and child pornography should also be suspended for journalists, so that they can sell their sensationalised fake news stories to an increasingly disbelieving public.

Where official secrets have been leaked, it is only right that security forces need to find out who leaked them and plug that leak. Whistleblowers should think twice about releasing information and should be prepared for the consequences of their actions. Should the information released be such that it uncovers serious misdeeds by public officials, then they may gain significant public sympathy. But leaking official secrets for personnel gain, political gain, or public notoriety, would evince public condemnation, as Julian Assange is learning, right now

Too many things are classified as secrets when the public has a right to know what is going on. That is why we need a free press and I am not just talking about the ABC here. On the question of bias, I might point out that the Murdock press shows a distinct bias to the right, so I don't you lot complaining about that.
Avagoodweekend,
David

the Murdock press
VK3AUU,

if it's any consolation, they don't leech & maggot of us & telling us to believe in their non-existent integrity !

Why do I bother with such a miserable pack of nutters.
David

That is why we need a free press
VK3AUU,
You provide it & we'll accept it. Can you handle that ?

It is already provided by the ABC, you taxpayer dollars working for you in your interests.
David

It is already provided by the ABC, you taxpayer dollars working for you in your interests.
David
Posted by VK3AUU,

Well, not in my case because I'm interested in unifying this Nation's society & make it more equal !

Are you going to take from the rich and give to the poor?
David

Are you going to take from the rich and give to the poor?
VK3AUU,
I'd take from the undeservedly rich & give to the deservedly poor just as I would only take fairly from deservedly rich & rather selectively give to the undeservedly poor !