Secrecy

Governments keep secrets sometimes. We all accept that. But you might be surprised to discover just how ingrained – ridiculously so, in some cases – the concept of secrecy is in Australia’s federal laws.

Illustration: Michael Atchison, The Advertiser / File

Disclosing classified security information to a foreign spy is an imprisonable offence.

But so is the unauthorised disclosure of subsidies paid to Australian dairy producers. Or details of the operation of the dental benefits scheme.

Latest 2 of 6 comments

View all comments
 
  • thomas vesely says:

    05:47pm | 17/03/10

    “It is not uncommon and in fact it’s sensible, responsible and appropriate for Government to take some time to consider reports they receive before decisions are made about [their] release and next steps.“conroy answer vis a vis 43 Billion of our money…...... Read more »

  • Davido says:

    07:24pm | 16/03/10

    Totally agree. Secrecy and more recently privacy provisions have completely been abused by governments. Not to mention the commercial in confidence abuses to protect corrupt tendering processes. Read more »

 

Facebook Recommendations

Read all about it

Punch live

Up to the minute Twitter chatter

tory_maguire

What sort of people are watching your show @PMOnAir dying laughing at the ads for fungal toe nail treatment! #pmlive

Daniel Piotrowski

@NehaMadhok services eg gym, excellent kebab store?

Malcolm Farr

More gay marriage legislation than you can point a straight stick at. http://t.co/k2SC4xNp

Paul Colgan

@c41 yes it is.

Recent posts

The latest and greatest

ICB:  If I could offer you only one tip for the future…

ICB:  If I could offer you only one tip for the future…

Welcome to this week’s I Call Bullshit, an irregular regular column on calumny and codswallop.…

Six prominent Aussies with a case of the dreaded “yips”

Six prominent Aussies with a case of the dreaded “yips”

The yips. It’s an old golf term which refers to golfers who lose the ability to putt. They stand…

The humourless hysteria of the holier-than-thou

The humourless hysteria of the holier-than-thou

In I Spit On Your Grave, a young woman is gang raped in a remote woodland. She is beaten and tortured…

Nosebleed Section

choice ringside rantings

From: Punch on: Open thread 09/02/2012

marley says:

I'm one of the older ones, so I've certainly seen a few changes in my time. When I started school I learned to write with a nib pen, dipped in an inkwell (no, I'm not kidding). My mother became a dab hand at getting inkstains out of my clothes. Flicking ink at one another in the classroom was an essential… [read more]

From: I’d rather have a piece of toast than listen to crap lyrics

Erick says:

Led Zeppelin are responsible for my all-time favourite mixed metaphor: "There you sit, sit and stare, like a book on a shelf rusting." (Misty Mountain Hop) I laugh every time I hear it. Hmmm, I believe I've decided what to play on the way to work today. [read more]

Gentle jabs to the ribs

No wuckin forries. These nuckin futs are tuckin fops

No wuckin forries. These nuckin futs are tuckin fops

Well, puck me with a fitchfork. The F-word is apparently an acceptable part of Australian speech. That’s… Read more

151 comments

Newsletter

Read all about it

Sign up to the free daily Punch newsletter