Conroy's climate of fear

Stan Beer
Thursday, 19 March 2009 19:07

Opinion and Analysis

I don't know about you but I'm old enough to remember a time when classic works of fiction such as D H Lawrence's Lady Chatterley's Lover were banned from publication. After the permissive era of the late 1960s and 1970s, I never thought I would see those days return. I was wrong.

This is not China. This is not pre-cold-war Soviet Union. This not North Korea or Myanmar. This is not Iran. This is not even Malaysia or Indonesia.

This is Australia, a country that is sort of like a cross between America and England, with better weather, nicer cities, an easier going lifestyle, but the same time honoured, cherished values of democracy and the freedom to pursue happiness.

All of sudden, however, it seems that we're living in a climate of fear induced by the current Federal Government. As an Internet publisher and a journalist of 25 years experience, I can state this as a fact.

A couple of hours ago, I was reading an article by one of our very finest contributors Adam Turner about the subject of Internet Filtering and I realised that he had included a link to a site which has become famous for leaking information - Wikileaks. That link has been removed,

There is no doubt that this site is controversial. That's one of the things that makes it interesting and popular. In the spirit of true journalism, it publishes without fear nor favour.

At this time, however, it has published some material that has made our current Government very angry, distressed and unhappy.

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