Australia; Government Defends Web Spy Powers

Australia; Government Defends Web Spy Powers

www.theage.com.au

THE Gillard government has defended a plan to force telcos to store the internet and phone data of all Australians for up to two years, saying it is needed to allow our intelligence and police agencies to effectively target organised criminals and terrorists.
''In this day and age, an age where governments all around the world are grappling with the challenges of terrorism and organised crime, it is important that our relevant agencies have access to the information that they need,'' the assistant Treasurer, David Bradbury, said.


Read more: www.theage.com.au...

(visit the link for the full news article)


Related News Links:
www.abovetopsecret.com

It is quite aparrent that the Gillard government along with companies like Telstra (see linked article below) are hell bent on knowing exactly what we're looking at on the web.

Telstra was doing this in order to provide a future web filtering solution and the government are protecting us from organised crime and terrorism.

Organised crime is not a new thing in Australia and has been flourishing well before the internet was around.

Terrorism; how many terrorist attacks have been successfully carried out here? 0.

The following statement should ring some alarm bells;

If they were all passed it would be the most significant expansion of the intelligence community's powers since the Howard-era reforms of the early 2000s.

This was of course when the "war on terror" commenced. There has not been any single event of significance recently to justify this new expansion of power for Australia's intelligence services and in essence, reduction in privacy/civil liberties for us lowly subjects. The Gillard government is nothing but a marionette show being orchestrated by foreign powers. This combined with the carbon tax alone should have Gillard and her cabinet tried for treason.

What can we do about it?


www.theage.com.au
(visit the link for the full news article)

reply to post by Pirateofpsychonautics

What can we do about it?

Do not use telephones and do not use the internet.

There is no way they can be stopped so we need to stay one step ahead.

Most people can not give up telephones and internet. So they will just have to put up with the laws that are made.

reply to post by magma


Then you have already lost.
And if we all think there is nothing we can do about it.........then we may as well bend over and lube up.

Some big organized protest's would be a good start,any idea how to make that happen?

Im sure criminals of all sorts defend their behavior, rapists and murderers justify their acts and blame their victims.

I'm also sure this is against the Australian constitution, and the people should be very concerned that their thug like employees, hired in a position of trust to not harm their employers or take away their soveriegn, inalienable rights, for that is akin to a mechanic wrecking your car instead of fixing it.

What can we do about it?

Encrypt your data.

Use VPN.

Use MacDonalds free wifi access.

reply to post by xXSvenXx


Lost what? I am not complaining about I am just going to be more careful in my activiites and comunications.

If you have a TFN you already screwed anyway so it is not much of a step up really

Considering that the Australian governement are proven liars, it would be futile to organise demonstrations.

They will do what they want regardless of what the people want.

Best case scenario is a change of government. That is how we demonstrate by electing someone that will listen

Originally posted by OccamAssassin

What can we do about it?

Encrypt your data.

Use VPN.

Use MacDonalds free wifi access.

That's an option if you have the funds andthe know how to set one up..without both of the fore mentioned it's not an easy task. I also fear that the task of encrypting data and my (lack of) skills on that front would be futile against federal employed techs.

As for our inalienable rights...we don't actually have a Bill Of Rights or equivalent in Australia.

Coming soon; The great firewall of Australia.

Seriously, we need a revolution before our government goes all China on us.

I like to look at porn i like to visit conspiracy sites i like to research things the Gov would most likely prefer i didn't research.

Why would i be happy about my web history then being available to be used against me or sold to a web filtering company?
Have any of you ever looked at something on the net or given an opinion that could one day be used against you?

I still value privacy and our Government is backing me into a corner.
Something needs to change and a vote isn't enough anymore.

NBN terms and conditions.

- You will be allowed to enter into it with a serious profit increase, however you will be our phishing drone.

reply to post by xXSvenXx


Well instead of talking about go and do something.

I will wacth you on the 6 o'clock news.

Originally posted by magma
reply to post by xXSvenXx

 

Well instead of talking about go and do something.

I will wacth you on the 6 o'clock news.

Why don't you join us? Or are you just happier with government in every aspect of our lives?

Originally posted by magma
reply to post by xXSvenXx

 

Well instead of talking about go and do something.

I will wacth you on the 6 o'clock news.

I cant believe you just said that.
I guess you deserve your loss of freedom if your not going to fight for it.

reply to post by magma


There is no reason the existing laws regarding getting a warrant from a court to tap internet records of targeted suspects cannot achieve what the goverment claims they want to achieve.

Since when has any initiative to fight organised crime been successful? Drugs still profilerite in the communuity long after organised crime laws have been passed. Do they need these kind of laws to track and capture the illegal goings on in the corporate world or do you think that just because there has been no such cases in the media therefore there has been no white collar crime committed? What about the banks?

Has the government set up a task force to size all banking records with a view of going through them with a fine tooth comb to see if any crimes have been committed during the bail outs? If not why not?

I think we can safely conclude this explanation provided by the goverment is not for the pruposes claimed and that the survielance is aimed at the masses only. Since when have we ever heard of the rich and powerful being put in goal for the crimes the government is claiming its trying to prevent or is there some assertion that the rich and powerful don't commit crime or any sort.

Originally posted by Pirateofpsychonautics
Terrorism; how many terrorist attacks have been successfully carried out here? 0.

This was of course when the "war on terror" commenced. There has not been any single event of significance recently to justify this new expansion of power for Australia's intelligence services and in essence, reduction in privacy/civil liberties for us lowly subjects. The Gillard government is nothing but a marionette show being orchestrated by foreign powers. This combined with the carbon tax alone should have Gillard and her cabinet tried for treason.

What can we do about it?

How many terrorist attacks have the police stopped from being carried out in Australia due to the intelligence they have gathered? I know they stopped some extremists who were training on a property in Victoria with guns and grenades. I know that from reading the newspaper. I know they stopped another group in Queensland doing the same thing. I know that because of my job with the police. But yes this is beyond a joke of what they want to keep. I don't mind them keeping all the information of what I d on the internet. As long as they need a warrant or something of that sort, that goes through a judge, to look at that information when they have a reasonable suspicion that I may be a terrorist.

What can we do about it? There is nothing to be done about it. Just like the carbon tax, the government doesn't give a damn about what the voters want. They will lie to us and do what they always do. Represent everyones interests EXCEPT the people they are meant to; The Australian people.

reply to post by Pirateofpsychonautics

That's an option if you have the funds andthe know how to set one up..without both of the fore mentioned it's not an easy task. I also fear that the task of encrypting data and my (lack of) skills on that front would be futile against federal employed techs.

Encryption is free and is easy to set up these days.

VPN is a whole different kettle of phish, requiring both money and patience.

As for our inalienable rights...we don't actually have a Bill Of Rights or equivalent in Australia.

Yes thats right but it is a different system to the Yanks. This is taken from "The Australian Constitution in context" Rvd Ed 2009.

Although there is no Bill of Rights in the Constitution, there are sections which encompass issues of individual rights, including sections 41, 51(xxxi), 80, 92, 116, and 117.

This is pretty funny..
In summary (my words)
41 - Right to vote.
51 - Right for the Commonwealth to seize land(..."on just terms".....Sound familiar)
80 - Right to 'Trial by jury'
92 - Right to trade between states without being taxed.
116 - Right to religion - legislation can't be passed wrt religion.
117 is the cruncher though......classic Australian implied meanings have a gazillion different interpretations.....I'll reproduce it as presented.....

117 - Rights of residents in States.
A subject of the Queen in any State, shall not be subject in any other state to any disability or discrimination which would not be equally applicable to him if he were a subject of the Queen resident in such other state.

I'll leave you to draw you own conclusions with that one.

One way too look at the difference between the US and Australia is that the USA tells you what your allowed to do, whilst Australia tells you what your not allowed to do.

reply to post by xXSvenXx


We all have to do what we have to do.

I am not complaining about my freedom or privacy or anything.

It is pretty blatant that the OZ government will do what they want when they want without consultation of the people

So if you want to do something about go ahead and fight, but don't just talk about it, actually do something.

Start your own protest etc.

I will be with you in spirit

reply to post by ThedeadeyesofCharlieSheen


No I am not happy with every aspect, but I know that it can not be changed.

I am not that concerned about it all as I have nothing to hide. They already have a huge amount of information anyway

However start knocking on my door or invading my physical personal space and that is going to get the ridges up on my back

The stupid part that shows the utter stupidity of the govt is that Terrorists and organized crime gangs would avoid any problems with the simplest forms of encryption.

Yes, it is that simple! If they have 1/10th of a brain they will do this right now, in fact are doing it right now. The real question is, Is our Prime Minister, our Police, Federal and State and our Spy Organizations really that thick. You know, they just might be.

South Australian Police had a laptop stolen out of an unlocked car. The laptop had vital information regarding a major operation against bikie Gangs. The laptop had no encryption, no password protection, nothing at all.

Maybe they actually believe that these measures will somehow help them. It is a strange world.

P