[Greens-Media] Greens move to protect Australia's right to know

[Bolwell, Kristian (Sen K. Nettle)]

Greens move to protect Australia's right to know

15.06.07 

"National security should not be a catch all reason for punishing
journalists for contempt of court when they refuse to reveal their
sources," Greens Senator Kerry Nettle said today. 

"I sought to amend the Government's Evidence (Journalists' Privilege)
Bill in the Senate, so that national security would merely be one of the
factors that a judge must consider when deciding if a journalist is
guilty of contempt of court, rather than the overriding factor as is the
case under this bill.

"The scope of this bill combined with the limitations and qualifications
contained in it makes it almost certain that journalists Michael Harvey
and Gerard McManus and their sources would still be prosecuted if this
bill were to become law. 

"The Government's Evidence Act (Journalists' Privilege) Bill is a mirage
that will do little to reduce the risk of journalists or their sources
going to gaol.

"It seems that because the government wants to deal with the political
problem of journalists being prosecuted for contempt rather than the
policy question of society's access to information they have opted for
these narrowly framed laws.

"Once again freedom of the press has taken a back seat to the
government's political ambitions", Senator Nettle said.

More information Kristian Bolwell 0411638320