Mike Pezzullo home affairs Paladin Manus Island scandal
Secretary of the Home Affairs Department Mike Pezzullo (Image: AAP/Lukas Coch)

Crikey readers reacted strongly to news that the government wants oversight on any leaks reported in the press. Not surprisingly, a few quick comparisons came to mind. Elsewhere, readers tackled Australia’s options in fixing the country’s climate chaos.

On whistleblower control

John Richardson writes: If these morons are content to spend their time dreaming-up stupid schemes that simply serve to extend the reach of our burgeoning police state, why doesn’t the media simply publish an avalanche of material and bury the fools in their own deceit. A kind of mass civil disobedience by the media. What many people don’t realise is that power is a very fragile thing and as soon as the government starts to prosecute people, let alone lock them up, Australia might suddenly start to look like Hong Kong.

Mike Smith writes: As a journalist, would you trust the government of the day not to put their interests first? Would you trust them not to leak your exclusive to their tame MSM alternative? 1984 was not intended to be an instruction manual!

Lee Tinson writes: So… the most open and honest thing I’ve heard from any government MP. “We want total control over what you publish.” How long would it take a minister to abuse a rule like this? I’m thinking five seconds top.

John Ryan writes: There used to be places where the government vetted everything a journalist wanted to place on the public record because they thought it was going too far. Russia still does it, China still does it Which of these country’s do the Pezzullos and Duttons in this government want us to emulate?

James O’Neill writes: Look on the bright side. We can now stop pretending that Australia is a democracy. Not hard to identify the potential dictators in the present members of parliament. They do not all belong to the same party.

On climate chaos 

Steven Westbrook writes: Nice sentiments, great argument but the federal government and the north Queensland voters are determined to make a “Custer’s Last Stand” on this issue. The eventual whack from external reality will then be much harder than it needed to be.

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