It's extraordinary to see leaders and would-be leaders of democratic nations insisting that secrecy is essential to democracy.

Balawan

It is why they so often make the slip and refer to 'freedom from information' instead of 'freedom of information'.

Goodness, imagine if the tawdry deals between the major political parties and the billionaire miners in Australia ever became public. It just wouldn't do would it to lift the tarp and show what is crawling beneath.

Poirot:

Thanks for the link, and what an impressive list of names. We can only hope that the open letter will have an effect on our PM.

Pelican:

"That is the beauty of democracy and a country that values freedoms, but it has to be more than just on paper, but enacted in real life!"
Well said! The US has to practice what it preaches, and should be held accountable.

Cornflower:

It would be interesting to see what sort of deals were made by the political parties with the mining companies - it makes one wonder though whether any of them would pass closer scrutiny?

Emergency Protest to Defend Wikileaks & Julian Assange

Thursday December 9, 5:30pm - 8:30pm
Brisbane Square, Top of Queen St Mall, Brisbane

Julian Assange of WikiLeaks has just been arrested in London.

This is the latest in an unprecedented global campaign to destroy WikiLeaks and Assange for daring to defy the powerful and expose the lies, the hypocrisy, and the blood that their apparatus of secrecy is designed to protect. It is crucial that people in Australia stand up and be counted in defense of free speech and democratic rights. Our government has refused to defend Assange's basic rights as a citizen, and instead has joined the global campaign to silence him.

PROTEST TO DEFEND JULIAN ASSANGE AND WIKILEAKS, AND STOP THE SUPPRESSION OF FREEDOM OF SPEECH

Contact: 0401785942 (Bec)
_____

Support Wikileaks rally!

Friday December 10, 12 noon
Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, 295 Ann Street, City.

Supporters of the website Wikileaks will mobilise on Friday to protest against the backlash it has faced for its release of more than 250,000 US government cables.

The rally date coincides with International Human Rights day. The Australian government has failed to uphold the human rights of Wikileaks editor-in-chief Julian Assange. The Australian government should be ashamed for its attacks on Wikileaks, which has been charged with no crime. Australia should not join the campaign to censor Wikileaks.

We want the Gillard government to make sure Julian Assange has the same basic rights as every other Australian citizen. Threats have been made against Assange’s life, the Australian government has a duty to protect him, not threaten him.

Contact: 0435 266 613 (Liam)

OUG:

Thanks for the information. I'm sure that many will join in to help. The government needs to know how people feel about what's happening.
The only way that politicians pay attention is if voters let their feelings be known. Great job you're doing by letting people know what they can do to help.

Thanks for your agreement nairbe and me too these days.!(about sex I mean).
It is important to retain the values my father fought for, they were somehow Australian.

That was in the days when our defence forces were only used to defend us, not represent the needs of a foreign power in other countries.
Before we chose to participate in other peoples conflicts, or use our young people for such purposes.

I still believe Julian Assange is doing the right thing by the citizens of the world.

If Wikileaks is knocked out? where will whistle blowers have to go?,
to their local police station to report misdeeds in Govt?.