[LINK] Australia rolls over

[Kim Holburn]

On 2012/May/07, at 10:15 AM, rene wrote:

> On Sun, 6 May 2012 20:26:35 +1000, Kim Holburn wrote:
> 
>> Read the last paragraph.
>> 
>> https://torrentfreak.com/the-lengthening-arm-of-uncle-sams-pirate-
>> justice-120506/
>> 
>>> The Lengthening Arm of Uncle Sam's 'Pirate' Justice
>>> 
>>> • Myles Peterson
>>> • May 6, 2012
>>> 
>>> File-sharing was firmly on the agenda when the head of the US
>>> Department of Homeland Security touched down in the Australian
>>> capital last week. The four new agreements - promptly signed before
>>> Secretary Janet Napolitano flew back out of Canberra - were less
>>> about sharing season two of Game of Thrones and more about sharing
>>> the private, government held information of Australian citizens
>>> with US authorities.
> 
> Torrentfreak appears to be the only entity claiming that's the purpose of 
> the signed agreements.

True.

> If it was to some extent, Nicola Roxon's associated 
> speech points out that: "...when we say that we want to increase and 
> improve cooperation, of course it still means that we will do that within 
> the constraints of our laws, which means that information is shared where 
> it meets particular thresholds.  ... there are very tight constraints 
> around what can and can't be shared. ... This agreement doesn't change 
> that. ..."
> http://www.attorneygeneral.gov.au/Transcripts/Pages/2012/Second%20Quarter/4
> -May-2012---Press-Conference-Canberra.aspx

That wasn't in her speech, it was in answer to a question about the treatment of Jennifer Robinson at Heathrow.  It's also very unclear what she meant - what constraints of our laws?  what particular thresholds?   what constraints about what can and can't be shared?  If these agreements don't change anything, what was the point?

> [...]
>>> We have reached a point in Australia where citizens can be arrested
>>> and extradited to the United States based on information supplied
>>> by Australian spies for breaches of US law on Australian soil.
>>> Australia has effectively signed away its right to govern its own
>>> in matters of copyright infringement when those matters overlap the
>>> interests of the United States.
> 
> To the extent that some remarks in that para are factual, it isn't a result 
> of the recently signed agreements.

I hope so but it's not entirely clear.


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Kim Holburn
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