Australia’s suppression of information seen as pivotal to a free and open media is at the centre of accusations that the country has become one of the world’s most secretive democracies.Last week, a former Australian spy was convicted over his unconfirmed role as a whistleblower who revealed an espionage operation against the government of East Timor.
It’s the latest high-profile case in a national system in which secrecy laws, some dating back to the colonial era, are routinely used to suppress information. Police have also threatened to charge journalists who exposed war crime allegations against Australian special forces in Afghanistan, or bureaucrats’ plan to allow an intelligence agency to spy on Australian citizens.A former Australian spy was convicted last week over his unconfirmed role as a whistleblower in revealing an espionage operation against the government of East Timor.
