Australian Journalist Imprisoned in Cambodia Seeks Royal Pardon
A three-judge panel of the Phnom Penh Municipal Court found Australian journalist and documentary film-maker James Ricketson guilty of espionage on 31 August. And to the disbelief of those gathered there to support the 69-year-old, the court sentenced him to six...
Silencing Dissent: Morrison Threatens to Deregister Trade Union
Reigning Australian prime minister Scott Morrison has threatened to close down the Construction, Forestry, Maritime, Mining and Energy Union (CFMMEU), following a union boss’ tweet that the head of the executive said was the last straw that broke “the camel’s back.”...
Stopping Abuses Behind Bars: An Interview With Churchill Fellow Steven Caruana
“The degree of civilization in a society can be judged by entering its prisons,” wrote the 19th Russian novelist Fyodor Dostoyevsky. If his statement is anything to go by, then recent developments would indicate that such an evaluation could lead...
How the Government’s New Laws Will Unlock Citizens’ Private Data
On 14 July last year, former prime minister Malcolm Turnbull announced that the government wanted the power to access people’s encrypted messages. Last month, Dutton’s Home Affairs super-ministry delivered draft legislation that will allow authorities to do just that. And while...
Ousting Dutton: An Interview With Greens Candidate Benedict Coyne
A few weeks back, Peter Dutton suffered a major blow when he was defeated by Scott Morrison in the Liberal leadership battle. But despite this, the divisive politician remains a formidable force in the party room. Dutton’s still in charge...
Democracy Is in Tatters Across the Globe
Democracy suffered “its most crucial crisis in decades” last year, according to a leading annual report on global freedom. And this continued a twelve year trend, which has seen a gradual decline in fair elections, minority rights, press freedoms and...
Scott Morrison: An Extreme Conservative with Divisive Policies
Many Australians breathed a collective sigh of relief last week when Peter Dutton was defeated in the Liberal leadership battle. The prospect of having the minister behind some of the most divisive policy decisions in recent years at the nation’s helm...
Canada Accepts First Australian Refugee
In what’s believed to be a world first, an Australian citizen has been given asylum in a foreign country. As revealed by the ABC last week, Canadian authorities granted refugee status to a former Australian police informant who infiltrated an outlaw...
Ongoing Encroachments Upon Privacy: An Interview With APF’s David Vaile
Over the last half decade, the Coalition government has been carrying out an ongoing attack on the basic right to privacy. A series of bills has passed through parliament, each serving to erode Australian privacy rights one step further. Currently,...
Should Conjugal Visits Be Allowed in Australian Prisons?
The question over whether to permit conjugal visits in Australian gaols is a polarising topic. Indeed, many in the community believe inmates forgo their right to spend intimate time with their spouse or significant other once they step through the...
