Page 2034 - Week 08 - Tuesday, 8 September 1992
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Members might be concerned to know that this afternoon there was a raid by the Australian Federal Police on the offices of the Canberra Times at Fyshwick. The raid occurred pursuant to a search warrant issued in furtherance of an investigation of a breach of subsection 10(1) of the Crimes (Offences against the Government) Act 1989. I also understand that documents were sought, including diary notes and facsimile records, relating to a number of things, including the 1992-93 budget, ACT Health and the office of the Minister for Health. The raid focused, in particular, Madam Speaker, on a former editor of the Canberra Times, Mr Crispin Hull. His desk at the Canberra Times was searched and documents, including fragments or segments of a facsimile message, were taken away from his desk. He was also asked further questions, which I understand he declined to answer.
I also understand, Madam Speaker, that, closer to home, a warrant has been served in the Assembly building on a staff member on the fifth floor of this building. I also understand that two members of the Australian Federal Police may have been on the premises of the building, presumably with the permission of somebody, at some point during the day. I also understand that the fraud squad has been in the office of the Minister for Health this afternoon taking, as I understand it, photographs.
I understand that the Serjeant-at-Arms had no knowledge of this matter until very recently and, Madam Speaker, that your own senior staff were unable to confirm or deny that police have been in the Assembly building or within Assembly precincts. I take it, Madam Speaker, that if members of the Australian Federal Police, or other police forces for that matter, were to come onto the premises, or were to be in a position of requesting access to the Assembly's premises, you would advise the Assembly members of that at the earliest opportunity.
Madam Speaker, it is a matter that is deeply disturbing to some of us in this place. It conjures up images of the famous raid in the early 1970s on ASIO headquarters by the then Attorney-General. I assume that this matter was raised by the ACT Government. I assume that it relates to the headline and the article which appeared in the Canberra Times on Sunday of this week relating to a 2 per cent cut in health expenditure in the coming ACT budget, a cut which was dismissed as idle speculation by the Minister at the time but which now appears to have been rather less idle than perhaps he led us to believe in the first place.
When I was in government, Madam Speaker, I certainly saw, on many occasions, leaks appear in the Canberra Times and elsewhere, and when I did I gritted my teeth. I sometimes initiated internal investigations, but basically I had to put up with those sorts of things. I did not call in the Australian Federal Police. I think, Madam Speaker, that this rates as a serious overreaction to what is a fact of life for every government in every country everywhere in the world. The raid is an attack, Madam Speaker, on the freedom of the press. It is the act of a frightened and paranoid government. We on this side of the chamber reject strongarm tactics which attempt to prevent government secrets from reaching the public, and that is basically what it is.
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