Fighting Fake News with Real, 13/7/19; Shaming Australia the LNP is doing it in a canter; Dutton charges journalists with crime; Corporate Ethics Australia; Solar powered car; Drugs in America;

 

 

 

 

Why raiding media presents a threat to democracy 

Australia has a uniquely broad data surveillance framework that is a great threat to the confidentiality of journalist's sources, which is vital to an independent, robust and effective media, writes Rebecca Ananian-Welsh.

 Australia is currently leading the world in diminishing the notion of Asylum, Free Press and Democracy and Climate Change denial. We seem to have become real trend setters in calling for hate-speech to be recognized as free-speech and the only settler nation on the planet that has no recognizable Treaty with it's First Peoples nor even wanting them to have any say or recognition in their treatment other than that appointed by our current Ministers.

The world is watching our government shaming this country but not running it. (ODT)

 

1. No-one is above the law, but the rules apply differently to politicians

 Politicians aren't forced to go through the security screening processes to which Parliament House employees are subjected, writes Laura Tingle. But should they be exempt from scrutiny?

 But when politicians start trying to crack down on others in public debates, they should expect some questioning of their own exemptions from some of these rules, and more scrutiny of their potential conflicts of interest. And not just financial conflicts of interest.

This crossover between political and other leaks was on clear display earlier this year when classified briefings were leaked about asylum-seeker medical transfers that attributed views to ASIO about legislation being proposed by crossbench MP Kerryn Phelps.The leak, which was highly politically useful to the government, provoked the ire of ASIO head Duncan Lewis, who said the leak had been highly damaging and unhelpful to his organisation.

 Miraculously, the investigation into that leak was quietly dropped by the Australian Federal Police last month.

Yet Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton — who heads the bureaucracy from which the Medevac documents were leaked — was still at it on Friday, rejecting calls for assurances that journalists subject to AFP raids at the same time would not be charged.

While it's not clear that it is Mr Dutton's call to make about charges, he opined that "nobody is above the law and the police have a job to do under the law".

 

 

Waste

Thirteenth toxic chemical dump discovered by drone

The 1.6 million litres of chemicals were hidden in a property leased by Graham Leslie White, who has been linked to the West Footscray chemical fire.

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Dutch Company Reveals An Electric Car That Charges Itself With Sunlight

A Dutch company from Eindhoven has released a prototype car that has already sold 100 orders to be filled in...

"When we win," said the 2020 Democratic candidate, "we won't wait for drug

Because 'Americans Need Relief Now' From 'Insane' Drug Costs, Sanders to Join Diabetics on Trip to Canada for Affordable Insulin

—Sen. Bernie Sanders"Insulin costs over $300 [per vial] in the U.S.," tweeted Sanders, a 2020 Democratic presidential candidate. "In Canada, the same exact drug costs about $30. We can't wait for drug companies to lower prices. Americans need relief now!"