ANTHONY ALBANESE OUR TRUE LEADER OF THE LABOR PARTY
Anthony Albanese: Labor has gone too far in supporting national security laws
Labor
frontbencher breaks ranks to argue that some elements of new laws, such
as criminalising reporting of intelligence operations, may need to be
wound back
frontbencher breaks ranks to argue that some elements of new laws, such
as criminalising reporting of intelligence operations, may need to be
wound back
Anthony Albanese: ‘The media laws are draconian when we talk about potential penalties of five or 10 years jail.’
Photograph: Stefan Postles/AAP
Anthony Albanese has signalled Labor has gone too far in supporting
the Abbott government’s national security agenda, particularly the new
“draconian” restrictions on press freedom which would see journalists
jailed for between five and 10 years.
Albanese, a senior Labor left figure, used a breakfast television
interview on Sunday morning to break ranks with the opposition’s studied
conflict aversion on national security, arguing the policy reform
agenda, given its seriousness, needed less haste and more close
scrutiny.
He said he did not want national security to become a partisan issue,
but he argued Australians, residents of a liberal democracy, did not
protect their freedom by giving it up. He said recent provisions
criminalising the reporting of special intelligence operations might
need to be wound back.
Albanese declared on Sky News that unlike many left wingers, he was
“not a pacifist” – he said he deplored the activities of Islamic State,
and strongly supported Australia’s military engagement in northern Iraq.
But he said he would have favoured more debate in the chamber prior
to the deployment. A move by the Greens and by independent Andrew Wilkie
to have parliamentary debate and approval prior to the deployment was
largely rebuffed by the government.
“I’m of the view the government hasn’t been at its best when it comes
to proper debate. I believe there should be more debate on the floor of
the house of representatives, not up in the federation chamber, about
our engagement [in Iraq],” he said. “When we put Australians at risk,
that should be properly debated.”
Albanese also argued the government needed to slow down the legislative debate on national security reform.
He indicated that he had significant problems with a newly legislated
provision that would jail journalists for reporting on special
intelligence operations.
Albanese said that law would needed to be scrutinised very closely
and it may, in fact, need to be wound back. “When it comes to the
so-called anti-terrorist laws, there has to be proper scrutiny of them.
We can be fully supportive of our engagement in the Middle East and
still say we don’t protect freedom by giving it up.”
“I don’t believe there has been enough scrutiny. I believe the media
laws are draconian when we talk about potential penalties of five or 10
years jail for exposing what might be an error made by the security
agencies.
“We are all concerned as Australians about the jailing of Peter
Greste in Egypt. I believe we should be arguing for more scrutiny of
these issues, not just from Labor but from the government as well.”
He said at a time of heightened domestic security risks, agencies
would bring forward substantial proposals to increase their power. This
did not mean the Australian legislature needed to rubber stamp a
security wish-list.
“At a time like this the security agencies will take the opportunity
to impose things that have been in their bottom drawer for a long period
of time. I believe our agencies, including Asio, do a great job for
this nation … but it’s also the case in a democratic country like ours –
we’re talking about fighting for freedom, it’s important to ensure
freedom is protected and not given up.”
Labor assisted the government in passing the new security-related
restrictions on press freedom which have been condemned by the legal
profession and by all the major Australian media companies.
Albanese did not speak out against them during the recent legislative
debate – only one Labor figure did, the West Australian backbench MP
Melissa Parke. The Greens are campaigning vigorously against these laws,
and local campaigning will hurt progressive Labor MPs like Parke and
like Albanese who hold inner urban seats.
On Sunday, Albanese argued the impact of the law should be closely
examined by everyone. “There are legitimate criticisms and they need to
be responded to by the government.”
He signalled the laws might need to be wound back. “I’m concerned
about the rights of journalists. I’m someone who has consistently
supported the rights of media to report.”
Asked whether his critique was supported by other senior figures, Albanese said: “I’m speaking for myself.”
Albanese was also not supportive of a proposal brought forward by the
Gillard government to strengthen the media regulator to enforce better
professional standards, but he said that proposal was nowhere near as
sweeping and consequential as the changes just passed into law.
Ahead of the legislation being tabled, on July 17, the shadow
attorney-general Mark Dreyfus told Guardian Australia the Labor
opposition would not support criminalising journalism.
Dreyfus: “If Senator Brandis’s amendments would criminalise reporting
by journalists who receive intelligence information, the government
will need to make changes to remove that consequence.”
Despite that categorical assurance, Labor went on to achieve only
minor adjustments to a provision which went on to criminalise the
reporting of special intelligence operations.
No comments:
Post a Comment