New foreign interference laws will compound risks to whistleblowers and journalists
The proposed changes to Australia’s foreign interference laws pose a serious risk to Australian media organisations, explains Griffith University’s Keiran Hardy in this crossposting from The Conversation.
The Turnbull government has announced a crackdown on foreign interference in Australian politics and national security. Proposed laws include a ban on foreign political donations, new criminal offences, and a transparency register for those acting on behalf of foreign governments or organisations.
Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull carefully emphasised that the proposals are not focused on China’s influence in Australia. But, as the Lowy Institute’s Euan Graham put it, there’s an “800-pound panda” in the room.
Increasingly, the language of ‘national security’ is invoked to protect a government’s broader interests. AAP/Mick Tsikas
