By Miles Heffernan August 10, 2013 Gina Rinehart’s bid to have a journalist turn over secret sources was rejected this week by a Western Australian Supreme Court judge in a decision hailed as a win for press freedom. But the judgment handed down on August 6 makes it clear we are still a way short […]
Reporters may still face litigation and court orders to identify sources, despite Rinehart’s failed bid in WA
August 10, 2013
Federal Press Gallery list revealed
May 31, 2013
MARGO: Everyone know journos can’t keep a secret, but they’ve somehow managed to keep the list of Federal Press Gallery members secret from the general public. Until now. We’ve published two pieces on the PG triggered by its refusal to allow @callumdav to join as a reporter for @independentaus; Your guide to the Press […]
The liberties of George Brandis by @awelder
May 22, 2013
By Andrew Elder May 22, 2013 Margo: After the recent George ‘free speech’ Brandis speech I asked (begged) @awelder to write me a piece on the civil liberties credentials of the man who would be Attorney General under an Abbott Government. This is Andrew’s first piece for @NoFibs. Thank you. There is a story of […]
Bolt no free speech champion, just another rhetor*
May 11, 2013
By Thomas Connelly May 11, 2013 Margo: I read with incredulity Andrew Bolt’s begging letter to citizens to donate to the IPA’s fund to defend free speech http://support.ipa.org.au/. IPA donors Murdoch and Gina could finance a free speech fund with their spare change. This appeal is about something else, changing the very meaning of free […]
Brandis free speech fudge: @MediaActive reviews the @albericie interview
May 11, 2013
ABC Lateline Interview May 7, 2013 Media regulation reform was never going to be easy in Australia. As it turned out, the legislation proposed by the Labor government foundered midst roiling misinformation and hyperbolic claims of draconian state intrusion into media freedoms. It was also not helped by the ham-fisted presentation, timing and advocacy by […]
The Liberal Party’s war on freedoms: My reply to Brandis
May 10, 2013
By Margo Kingston May 10, 2013 ‘But at least the debates about freedom of speech and freedom of the press, which we have seen in the past couple of years, have been a sharp reminder to the Liberal Party of its historic mission. For in the freedom wars, there has been only one party which has […]
Freedom Wars: The George Brandis speech
May 9, 2013
ABC Lateline Interview May 7, 2013 Margo: Well here it is, the Brandis speech on free speech he calls the Freedom Wars. It is not online, so Barry Tucker rang the Brandis office and obtained a copy. Thank you @btckr. I have a feeling I’ll want to write a response soon – my boiling anger at his @Lateline […]
The Forgotten People
May 9, 2013
By Margo Kingston May 9, 2013 The day after Howard, Abbott and Brandis, among other Liberals, pulverised our freedoms for George Bush, they did it again for Chinese President Hu. This chapter of my book is Part 5 in our series of memory joggers for shadow Attorney General George Brandis, in the hope that he revises his recent […]
MSM outrage-shaming: What’s it all about?
May 9, 2013
By Alison Parkes May 8, 2013 This piece is written in response to these three articles which have appeared within the past couple of weeks 1) Hooked on outrage in the Twitter wars by Jacqueline Maley, 20 April Fairfax 2) The left takes a turn for the ugly as power slips through Labor’s grasp by Chris Johnson, […]
Brandis: Enemy of free speech, friend of false speech, on children overboard
May 8, 2013
By Margo Kingston Wednesday, 1 September, 2004 Source: Webdiary The intense strain on the two people in Senate Committee room 2S1 today was palpable. The two had by very difficult choice propped up the credibility of a cowardly and bullying Prime Minister for nearly three years. Yet Howard’s point man on children overboard – George Brandis, whose […]
