Crikey readers love their train spotting and weigh in on the possibility of fast trains in Australia. Plus, what is happening with ASIO and the difficulties with the abortion debate.
ASIO
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ASIO can’t be bothered: less accountable, less productive
Despite ASIO’s endlessly increasing budget, its latest annual report shows an organisation doing less work and being less accountable — even the report itself is lazily cobbled together.
The terror raid leak was serious. We must find the source
Thanks to the leaking of the terror raids in Melbourne by The Oz
By 2010, ASIO will have doubled in size
Last night, ASIO appeared before the Legal and Constitutional Affairs committee.
Swan confronts the enemy within, and without
The Government used the Budget to push through a significant increase in spending on counter-terrorism, national security and border protection.
Essay: The many renditions of Mamdouh Habib
Let’s take a swift trip into the heart of darkness, writes Richard Neville.
Budget countdown: ASIO growth freeze imminent?
The 2009 Budget might finally spell the end of the remorseless growth of ASIO, the most successful government body of the Howard era.
ASIO reveals China-linked campaign to dominate Australia’s media
Australia’s relationship with China is about to be rocked by revelations of a major Chinese-linked attempt to dominate Australia’s media and other cultural influences, writes Bernard Keane.
Howard loyalist Farmer to key diplomatic post
Prime Minister Kevin Rudd is set to announce that Australia’s new ambassador to the United Nations in New York is none other than Bill Farmer. writes Alex MItchell.
Ul-Haque case gives ASIO licence to play rough
The failure of Mr. Carnell to take a similar view as Justice Adams did about the mistreatment of Mr. Ul-Haque by ASIO officers is disturbing, writes Greg Barns.
Tips and rumours
I saw Malcolm Turnbull staffer, Patrick McGrath, in the city on Friday. He was wearing Union Jack cufflinks. Has anyone told Malcolm?
Apropos the ATO. There is also another side to their behaviour particularly where small business and low wealth individuals are concerned. In the past five years we have expended $250K on my wife’s health […]
Time to bring the Crime Commission down a peg
Does the ACC have a practice of keeping dossiers on individuals its officers happen to come across in their travels, asks Greg Barns.
ASIO’s weird, incompetent little cold war
You can get a sense of the malice and paranoia that dominated ASIO’s operations by looking at the files now available under the 30-year rule, writes Jeff Sparrow.
Who knew what (and when) about Habib’s torture?
At the very least, one can say that the Howard government’s insistence on blindly supporting the Bush administration’s foreign policy agenda was often at the expense of Australian citizens, writes Irfan Yusuf.
What chance ASIO will tell all?
Given the extraordinary powers now enjoyed by ASIO, the revelations of systemic wrongdoing should send alarm bells ringing. Yet one should not be too optimistic as to the results of the mooted investigation, writes Jeff Sparrow.
The disturbing case of Izhar Ul-Haque: your laws at work
The decision handed down by NSW Supreme Court judge Michael Adams concerning the case of Izhar Ul-Haque makes for disturbing reading, writes Greg Barns.
Does ASIO want the help of Australian Muslims?
Izhar al-Haque is an exception to the rule. He willingly handed his jihadi training documents to the authorities. He did this years before any prosecution or ASIO interrogation were on the horizon. Most terror suspects find themselves in the dock thanks to information provided to the authorities from external sources.
Paddy McGuinness and ASIO’s APEC exclusion list
As Sydney prepares for the most repressive policing operation in Australia’s history, there’s a class of people who should be defending the APEC protesters — those ex-radicals from the seventies who have personal experience of ASIO harassment.
