[LINK] [Fwd: [Fwd: National Phone-in and Blog on Commonwealth Secrecy Laws Launched [SEC=UNCLASSIFIED]]]

[Jan Whitaker]

speaking of alternative communication methods:


>http://www.alrc.gov.au/media/2009/mr0209.html
>
>Monday 9 February 2009
>National Phone-in and blog on Commonwealth Secrecy Laws
>
>The Australian Law Reform Commission (ALRC) 
>today announced a national two day phone-in and 
>new online discussion forum as part of its 
>commitment to engaging in widespread community 
>consultation on reform of Commonwealth secrecy laws.
>Anyone who has ever been involved in handling 
>Commonwealth information will have the chance to 
>speak out about their personal experiences and 
>concerns in a national secrecy phone-in on 
>Wednesday 11 February and Thursday 12 February. 
>The ALRC is also launching a new consultation 
>vehicle through its Talking Secrecy online forum.
>
>ALRC President, Professor David Weisbrot, said 
>“Consultation is part of the ALRC’s DNA and we 
>are determined to use new technologies to expand 
>that process. The online forum and national 
>phone-in together comprise the next critical 
>steps in the ALRC’s consultation process 
>following the recent release of the Issues 
>Paper, Review of Secrecy Laws (IP 34, 2008). 
>This paper seeks feedback about how to balance 
>the need to maintain an open and transparent 
>government, while still protecting some 
>Commonwealth documents and information—for the 
>purposes of national security, for example.
>
>“The ALRC now has mapped over 500 secrecy 
>provisions spread across 173 pieces of 
>legislation and these—associated with a myriad 
>of administrative, civil and criminal 
>penalties—present a complex and confusing 
>scenario of options for individuals handling Commonwealth information.
>
>“Some secrecy provisions—normally pertaining to 
>defence and security—regulate the activities of 
>anyone, including the media, who comes into 
>possession of Commonwealth documents or 
>information, imposing obligations on them. If 
>the individual handles the information 
>incorrectly, he or she may face heavy penalties, including jail.”
>
>Commissioner-in-charge of the Secrecy Inquiry, 
>Professor Rosalind Croucher, said that the 
>phone-in will enable individuals to speak about 
>their personal experiences with complete 
>anonymity and will assist in shaping the 
>development of proposals, and ultimately 
>recommendations, for workable laws and practices.
>
>“To facilitate more public discussion about 
>secrecy laws, the ALRC’s Talking Secrecy online 
>forum will encourage interactive comments and 
>debate that will run the course of the Inquiry. This is a first for the ALRC.
>
>“The ALRC would like to hear people’s views 
>about a range of questions such as: do secrecy 
>laws stop you from doing your job; what 
>information, if any, should be kept secret; how 
>easy is it to comply with secrecy laws; when 
>should you be allowed to disclose Commonwealth 
>information; and have you or someone you know 
>been in trouble for breaching a secrecy law and, if so, what happened?”
>
>To participate in the secrecy phone-in call 1800 
>760 291 between 8:00am and 8:00pm (EST) on 
>Wednesday 11 February and Thursday 12 February 
>2009 (calls are free from landlines but calls 
>from mobiles will incur a charge).
>
>The Talking Secrecy online forum can be accessed at http://talk.alrc.gov.au.
>
>More information about the Review of Secrecy 
>Laws can be found in the Inquiries section of this website.


Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
jwhit at janwhitaker.com
business: http://www.janwhitaker.com
personal: http://www.janwhitaker.com/personal/
blog: http://janwhitaker.com/jansblog/

Our truest response to the irrationality of the 
world is to paint or sing or write, for only in such response do we find truth.
~Madeline L'Engle, writer

Writing Lesson #54:
Learn to love revision. Think of it as polishing 
the silver for guests. - JW, May, 2007
_ __________________ _