QResear.ch

#21755025 at 2024-10-13 03:08:50 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #37: EVERYTHING IS AT STAKE Edition

#36 - Part 17
Israel / Hamas Conflict - The Australian Perspective - Part 17
>>21695224 Police move to ban October 7 anniversary protests over Hezbollah flags - Federal authorities have vowed action against people flying outlawed Hezbollah and Hamas flags at protests this weekend to mark the anniversary of the October 7 attacks, as NSW Police started court action to stop the demonstrations going ahead in Sydney. Politicians, police and community leaders have clashed over the lines between free speech and illegal action, as Australia's Muslim community seeks to protest against the escalation of war in the Middle East, while others condemn the glorification of slain Hezbollah spiritual leader Hassan Nasrallah and the display of the symbols associated with listed terrorist organisations. Australian Federal Police boss Reece Kershaw told 2GB's Ray Hadley on Tuesday that the Hezbollah flag waving at last weekend's protests in Sydney and Melbourne had been "un-Australian" and against the law, and that officers would take action against demonstrators if they did the same at protests planned for next weekend. NSW Police then late on Tuesday applied to the Supreme Court to stop two protests planned for Sydney on Sunday and Monday. They said they had negotiated with organisers but were not satisfied the events could take place safely. Organisers had promised mass attendance at rallies on Sunday, a day before October 7, when Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Opposition Leader Peter Dutton will attend vigils to mark the day Hamas militants killed 1200 people and took another 250 hostage in southern Israel last year. "If they are flying those flags, in particular the Hezbollah and Hamas flags, action will be taken," Kershaw said.

>>21695254 Teenager Sarah Mouhanna charged for displaying 'prohibited terrorist symbol' - A Sydney teenager has been charged with displaying a terrorist organisation's symbol at protests on Sunday commemorating slain Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah. Sarah Mouhanna, 19, was on Wednesday afternoon charged with "cause public display of prohibited terrorists organisation symbol" after she presented to Kogarah Police Station following a public appeal. She was granted strict conditional bail, and will face the Downing Centre local court on October 23. Ms Mouhanna is understood to be the first person to have been formally charged by police following huge rallies across Sydney and Melbourne on the weekend. Thousands of protestors gathered in the city CBDs to commemorate Nasrallah, whose death was confirmed by the Israeli Defence Forces and the Iran-backed militant group on Saturday in a massive air strike on Beirut. The protestors, who were mostly young men, were filmed in Melbourne waving Hezbollah flags, wearing the group's emblem and chanting "labayka ya Nasrallah" in Arabic, which translates to 'at your service, Nasrallah' or 'here I am, Nasrallah'. Other chants heard include 'no more USA, no more Israel, no more Saudi Arabia'. In Sydney, both adults and children carried posters of the late Hezbollah leader. A couple of others were seen holding and wearing Hezbollah flags. One woman held a poster showing assassinated Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh and Hezbollah leader Nasrallah under the words "A nation led by martyrs will triumph".

#21695224 at 2024-10-02 09:55:13 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #37: EVERYTHING IS AT STAKE Edition

>>21677496
>>21677518
Police move to ban October 7 anniversary protests over Hezbollah flags

Natassia Chrysanthos and Paul Sakkal - October 1, 2024

1/2

Federal authorities have vowed action against people flying outlawed Hezbollah and Hamas flags at protests this weekend to mark the anniversary of the October 7 attacks, as NSW Police started court action to stop the demonstrations going ahead in Sydney.

Politicians, police and community leaders have clashed over the lines between free speech and illegal action, as Australia's Muslim community seeks to protest against the escalation of war in the Middle East, while others condemn the glorification of slain Hezbollah spiritual leader Hassan Nasrallah and the display of the symbols associated with listed terrorist organisations.

Australian Federal Police boss Reece Kershaw told 2GB's Ray Hadley on Tuesday that the Hezbollah flag waving at last weekend's protests in Sydney and Melbourne had been "un-Australian" and against the law, and that officers would take action against demonstrators if they did the same at protests planned for next weekend.

NSW Police then late on Tuesday applied to the Supreme Court to stop two protests planned for Sydney on Sunday and Monday. They said they had negotiated with organisers but were not satisfied the events could take place safely.

"The NSW Police Force recognises and supports the rights of individuals and groups to exercise their rights of free speech and peaceful assembly; however, the first priority for the NSW Police Force is the safety of the participants and the wider community," a statement said.

But a clash over the limits of political speech will reignite as a handful of mosques this week hold vigils for Nasrallah, and civilians killed in strikes, while activists in both Sydney and Melbourne seek to escalate protests as Israel begins a ground incursion into Lebanon.

Organisers had promised mass attendance at rallies on Sunday, a day before October 7, when Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Opposition Leader Peter Dutton will attend vigils to mark the day Hamas militants killed 1200 people and took another 250 hostage in southern Israel last year.

"If they are flying those flags, in particular the Hezbollah and Hamas flags, action will be taken," Kershaw said.

Australian Muslim leaders have defended their community's right to protest and hold vigils, saying political and media focus on a few people waving flags deflected from a year of atrocities.

Dutton, however, said it was "completely unacceptable that a mosque, or any other place of gathering, or of worship, is there to praise the work of a terrorist".

"I don't discriminate against anybody on any basis, but I cannot accept that it is in meeting with Australian values," Dutton said. "The prime minister should be on the phone to the leaders within the mosque, with the Imams, with leaders in the Islamic community, to make sure that this doesn't take place."

(continued)

#21687958 at 2024-10-01 10:13:11 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #37: EVERYTHING IS AT STAKE Edition

>>21677496
>>21677518
Hezbollah flags at protests shape as test of new hate-symbol laws

Tom Crowley - 1 October 2024

1/2

Federal police are investigating a Melbourne protest where Hezbollah flags were displayed in what shapes as an early test of hate-symbol laws passed late last year.

It comes as Immigration Minister Tony Burke told the ABC on Tuesday he had asked police to make him aware of any non-citizens caught up in investigations so he could cancel their visas, saying visitors would fail their character test if they were "inciting discord".

"We don't know whether they are actually on visas ... [but] we do have a higher standard if you're on a visa," he said.

"The normal principles that might be there where people will have arguments about freedom of speech - when you're a guest in someone's country, you're there as a guest."

AFP Deputy Commissioner Krissy Barrett said the investigations were to determine whether the flags displayed at the protest, which called for ceasefires in Gaza and Lebanon, violated laws prohibiting the display of hate symbols.

Those laws were passed in January primarily in response to the display of Nazi symbols, but they also cover the symbols of listed terrorist organisations such as Hezbollah.

Deputy Commissioner Barrett said the law laid out several conditions which would need to be met to secure a conviction, and these had not been tested in court.

"[It's] not just merely the display of the symbol; there are a number of elements that need to go alongside the display," she said.

"It's got to be done in circumstances in which a reasonable person would consider that the conduct either advocates inciting others to use violence or use force [or] could incite others to humiliate or intimidate based on religion ...

"The context around the conduct is extremely important ... If they're holding the flag, what are they saying? What are they chanting? What are they wearing? What sort of physical behaviour are they demonstrating?"

She added the AFP had been in contact with NSW Police over protests in Sydney but had not commenced any of its own investigations over that protest.

"Legislation is available to our state and territory colleagues as well, so it is the case that NSW Police can commence their own investigations."

NSW Police said it had seized two flags allegedly displaying Hezbollah's symbol. The ABC has verified at least one flag with a Hezbollah symbol on it, and some protesters also held photos of Hassan Nasrallah, the Hezbollah leader killed in Israeli strikes last week.

The protests have drawn criticism from Jewish community groups, with Jewish Community Council of Victoria CEO Naomi Levin saying it was "highly disturbing" to see the flag of an organisation that had "perpetrated numerous ... murders of Jewish people not just in Israel but around the world".

Islamic Council of Victoria president Adel Salman condemned the use of the flag, which he said was held "an absolute minority of people". He said the protests were "purely about supporting Palestinians".

"These Hezbollah protests are not welcome," he said.

AFP Commissioner Reece Kershaw told Nine radio on Tuesday the AFP was "taking action and we'll use the full force of the law as it applies to these offences ..."

"My view is it's un-Australian, it's against the law and it's not in accordance with our values," he said.

"So the fact that we have met the threshold of publicly displaying prohibited terrorist organisation symbols, we'll be taking action."

Dutton and Burke trade barbs over government response

Opposition Leader Peter Dutton said it was the federal government's job to direct police how to enforce the laws.

"The direction ultimately is taken from the prime minister and the minister, and if the minister is saying to the [AFP] commissioner we don't want to see arrests, or we're just happy if you enforce - you know, keep the peace but not enforce the law, that needs to be made publicly known."

There is no suggestion any minister has directed the AFP not to enforce any law. And while the AFP can lay charges, convictions are a matter for courts.

Mr Burke said the laws were "the strongest statement on hate speech that the parliament has ever taken" but would "have to be tested before the courts".

Mr Dutton said parliament should be recalled if stronger laws were needed, which Mr Burke branded a political ploy.

"With Peter Dutton it is always about the Middle East and never about middle Australia ... If you wanted to recall the parliament, you'd do it on the cost of living," he said.

"These are laws that Peter Dutton supported when they were passed a year ago."

(continued)

#21252032 at 2024-07-20 14:11:34 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #37: EVERYTHING IS AT STAKE Edition

#36 - Part 49
Australian Politics and Society - Part 33
>>21185546 Australia promises record military aid for Ukraine as NATO calls out China as an 'enabler' of Russia's invasion - The Australian government is set to give Ukraine another $250 million in military support - its largest contribution to the war effort since Russia invaded. Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Richard Marles announced the package on the final day of the NATO summit in Washington DC. The Australian military package includes guided and air defence missiles, anti-tank weapons, ammunition, and a shipment of boots. The government says it brings the value of Australia's overall support to $1.3 billion, including $1.1 billion for Ukraine's military. "This will not be the last package that we announce," Mr Marles said. "We will continue to support Ukraine for as long as it takes for Ukraine to resolve this conflict on its own terms." The Australian Defence Force has already been training Ukrainian army recruits under Operation Kudu in the UK. It will now also sign on as an "operational partner" to a new NATO command for Ukraine, and a group of Australian personnel who are already stationed in Europe will transfer across to the 700-person training and security initiative.
>>21185679 Video: Two Australians charged with spying offences for allegedly conspiring to share ADF secrets with Russia - Two Russian-born Australian citizens have been accused of obtaining Australian Defence Force material to share with Russian authorities. Australian Federal Police arrested 40-year-old Kira Korolev, who is an ADF army private, and 62-year-old Igor Korolev at their home in the Brisbane suburb of Everton Park yesterday morning. The married couple have been charged with one count each of preparing for an espionage offence, which carries a maximum penalty of 15 years' imprisonment. It is the first time an espionage offence has been laid since foreign interference laws were introduced in 2018. The pair are appearing before Brisbane Magistrates Court today, where police will allege the woman undertook undeclared travel to Russia while on long-term leave from the ADF, where she allegedly instructed her husband on how to log into her work account and access material to send to her. The couple had been in Australia for more than a decade before the alleged offending. Police will allege the pair sought the information with the intention to provide it to Russian authorities - whether it was actually shared is still a subject of Operation BURGAZADA's investigation. AFP Commissioner Reece Kershaw said espionage offences were not victimless. "It has the potential to impact on Australia's sovereignty, safety and way of life." Mr Kershaw said. Spy chief Mike Burgess said espionage was not a "quaint" notion and could have "catastrophic real-world consequences". "Espionage is real. Multiple countries are seeking to steal Australia's secrets," Mr Burgess said. Mr Burgess said he would not make further comment because the offences had not been tested in court. The AFP and ASIO said there was no ongoing risk to the public.
>>21185727 Russian-born Australian couple charged with espionage: Security vetting in question amid spy allegations - "The stunning spy allegations against two Russian-born Australians read like a plot of a TV thriller and represent the dawn of a new era for the nation's intelligence agencies. The prospect that Russia may have planted sleeper agents to live among us - an idea popularised by the hit TV show The Americans - will shock everyday Australians. The bringing of charges over the alleged espionage plot in suburban Brisbane is a credit to ASIO and the Australian Federal Police. It marks the first-ever use of new espionage laws introduced five years ago, and comes amid surging efforts by foreign spies to gain access to classified information. But many questions remain unanswered. Chief among them -- did Kira and Igor Korolev move to Australia a decade ago as part of a long-term Russian plan to spy on Australia? Or will it be alleged they were turned by a Russian agent after they arrived? Police are yet to say. But ASIO director-general Mike Burgess hinted the plot may have been years in the making, saying foreign intelligence services "play the long game". It remains to be seen whether any sensitive material was actually handed to the Russians, although Burgess suggested the authorities had been "able to control this". Australians will also rightly ask, if Kira Korolev is a spy, how did she manage to get through the Australian Defence Force's security vetting processes to take up a job as an information systems technician?" - Ben Packham - theaustralian.com.au

#21251412 at 2024-07-20 12:40:32 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #36: BADGE OF HONOR Edition

#36 - Part 49
Australian Politics and Society - Part 33
>>21185546 Australia promises record military aid for Ukraine as NATO calls out China as an 'enabler' of Russia's invasion - The Australian government is set to give Ukraine another $250 million in military support - its largest contribution to the war effort since Russia invaded. Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Richard Marles announced the package on the final day of the NATO summit in Washington DC. The Australian military package includes guided and air defence missiles, anti-tank weapons, ammunition, and a shipment of boots. The government says it brings the value of Australia's overall support to $1.3 billion, including $1.1 billion for Ukraine's military. "This will not be the last package that we announce," Mr Marles said. "We will continue to support Ukraine for as long as it takes for Ukraine to resolve this conflict on its own terms." The Australian Defence Force has already been training Ukrainian army recruits under Operation Kudu in the UK. It will now also sign on as an "operational partner" to a new NATO command for Ukraine, and a group of Australian personnel who are already stationed in Europe will transfer across to the 700-person training and security initiative.
>>21185679 Video: Two Australians charged with spying offences for allegedly conspiring to share ADF secrets with Russia - Two Russian-born Australian citizens have been accused of obtaining Australian Defence Force material to share with Russian authorities. Australian Federal Police arrested 40-year-old Kira Korolev, who is an ADF army private, and 62-year-old Igor Korolev at their home in the Brisbane suburb of Everton Park yesterday morning. The married couple have been charged with one count each of preparing for an espionage offence, which carries a maximum penalty of 15 years' imprisonment. It is the first time an espionage offence has been laid since foreign interference laws were introduced in 2018. The pair are appearing before Brisbane Magistrates Court today, where police will allege the woman undertook undeclared travel to Russia while on long-term leave from the ADF, where she allegedly instructed her husband on how to log into her work account and access material to send to her. The couple had been in Australia for more than a decade before the alleged offending. Police will allege the pair sought the information with the intention to provide it to Russian authorities - whether it was actually shared is still a subject of Operation BURGAZADA's investigation. AFP Commissioner Reece Kershaw said espionage offences were not victimless. "It has the potential to impact on Australia's sovereignty, safety and way of life." Mr Kershaw said. Spy chief Mike Burgess said espionage was not a "quaint" notion and could have "catastrophic real-world consequences". "Espionage is real. Multiple countries are seeking to steal Australia's secrets," Mr Burgess said. Mr Burgess said he would not make further comment because the offences had not been tested in court. The AFP and ASIO said there was no ongoing risk to the public.
>>21185727 Russian-born Australian couple charged with espionage: Security vetting in question amid spy allegations - "The stunning spy allegations against two Russian-born Australians read like a plot of a TV thriller and represent the dawn of a new era for the nation's intelligence agencies. The prospect that Russia may have planted sleeper agents to live among us - an idea popularised by the hit TV show The Americans - will shock everyday Australians. The bringing of charges over the alleged espionage plot in suburban Brisbane is a credit to ASIO and the Australian Federal Police. It marks the first-ever use of new espionage laws introduced five years ago, and comes amid surging efforts by foreign spies to gain access to classified information. But many questions remain unanswered. Chief among them – did Kira and Igor Korolev move to Australia a decade ago as part of a long-term Russian plan to spy on Australia? Or will it be alleged they were turned by a Russian agent after they arrived? Police are yet to say. But ASIO director-general Mike Burgess hinted the plot may have been years in the making, saying foreign intelligence services "play the long game". It remains to be seen whether any sensitive material was actually handed to the Russians, although Burgess suggested the authorities had been "able to control this". Australians will also rightly ask, if Kira Korolev is a spy, how did she manage to get through the Australian Defence Force's security vetting processes to take up a job as an information systems technician?" - Ben Packham - theaustralian.com.au

#21185679 at 2024-07-12 17:37:03 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #36: BADGE OF HONOR Edition

Two Australians charged with spying offences for allegedly conspiring to share ADF secrets with Russia

Jake Evans - 13 July 2024

Two Russian-born Australian citizens have been accused of obtaining Australian Defence Force material to share with Russian authorities.

Australian Federal Police arrested 40-year-old Kira Korolev, who is an ADF army private, and 62-year-old Igor Korolev at their home in the Brisbane suburb of Everton Park yesterday morning.

Look back on our live blog to see how events unfolded.

The married couple have been charged with one count each of preparing for an espionage offence, which carries a maximum penalty of 15 years' imprisonment.

It is the first time an espionage offence has been laid since foreign interference laws were introduced in 2018.

The pair are appearing before Brisbane Magistrates Court today, where police will allege the woman undertook undeclared travel to Russia while on long-term leave from the ADF, where she allegedly instructed her husband on how to log into her work account and access material to send to her.

The couple had been in Australia for more than a decade before the alleged offending.

Police will allege the pair sought the information with the intention to provide it to Russian authorities - whether it was actually shared is still a subject of Operation BURGAZADA's investigation.

Mr Korolev's charge sheet alleged that he had "maintained a relationship with members or affiliates of Russian federation intelligence services" for the purpose of sharing information.

In separate mentions Mr and Ms Korolev did not apply for bail and their matters were adjourned until September 20.

How someone with a security clearance was able to travel to Russia will also form part of the ongoing investigation.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said he had been "briefed extensively" on the matter by Australia's security agencies, and said he would not comment beyond saying that the nation's security agencies were doing their job well.

Further spying charges could be laid

Police have confirmed further charges could be laid as the investigation continues.

A more serious offence of espionage requires a direct evidential link to a foreign state, which carries penalties of 25 years to life in jail.

AFP Commissioner Reece Kershaw said espionage offences were not victimless.

"It has the potential to impact on Australia's sovereignty, safety and way of life." Mr Kershaw said.

Spy chief Mike Burgess said espionage was not a "quaint" notion and could have "catastrophic real-world consequences".

"Espionage is real. Multiple countries are seeking to steal Australia's secrets," Mr Burgess said.

Mr Burgess said he would not make further comment because the offences had not been tested in court.

The AFP and ASIO said there was no ongoing risk to the public.

In a statement, the Australian Defence Force said it took security breaches seriously and it would continue to work with the Counter Foreign Interference Taskforce.

Defence said it would not make further comment, but said it was practice in response to serious allegations to suspend an ADF member from service, including immediately cancelling access to defence bases and computer systems.

Australian Strategic Policy Institute executive director Justin Bassi, who was former prime minister Malcolm Turnbull's national security advisor when new foreign interference laws were first introduced, said the espionage case was harming Australia's national security.

"I think it clearly shows that we are up against, right now, not just the physical contest that we are seeing in Russia's war of Ukraine," Mr Bassi said.

"We are seeing a battle for a whole range of strategic competition areas below that threshold of war and we have to be mindful, we can't just wait and react to where bullets are fired, we have to act before the contest and the competition becomes conflict."

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-07-12/afp-arrest-major-investigation/104089258

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UDIphLXKZRA

#21143747 at 2024-07-05 18:08:07 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #36: BADGE OF HONOR Edition

>>21143742

3/3

Senator Payman - considered an "accidental senator" following a record Labor vote in Western Australia - narrowly claimed the state's sixth spot after weeks of counting following the 2022 ?election.

Labor-aligned pollster Kos ?Samaras warned that the fallout from Senator Payman's resignation had made the situation worse for the government "in its red wall and of course in seats they will have to defend against the Greens".

Mr Samaras said the western Sydney seats of Blaxland and Watson, held by cabinet ministers Jason Clare and Tony Burke, and the Victorian electorate of Calwell, represented by Maria Vamvakinou, had a high proportion of Muslim voters and were now at greater risk.

The Australian Federation of Islamic Council said it was the ALP's lack of a "principled approach" to the Middle East conflict and not Senator Payman's resignation that would hurt its electoral chances.

ALP national president Wayne Swan said the most fundamental lesson of Labor's success and failures over 133 years was the party couldn't win the battle of ideas without political unity.

"Senator Payman's decision to place herself outside the party can only empower Labor's opponents on the far right and on the left who have always opposed progressive foreign, economic and environmental policy," Mr Swan.

Labor's numbers in the Senate have been reduced to 25 while the crossbench has expanded to nine with Senator Payman's resignation. The government must gain the support of the Coalition or the Greens and at least three crossbenchers in order to pass legislation through the chamber.

Despite crossing the floor to vote with the Greens on Palestinian statehood - which sparked her first short suspension from caucus before an explosive television interview led to her being suspended indefinitely - Senator Payman ruled out joining the minor party.

The 29-year-old said she had met with teal-style group The Muslim Vote on one occasion and supported what it was doing in seeking to increase the "political literacy" of the Muslim community. "I don't have any intentions of collaborating with them, per se, and I haven't thought about it," she said.

The Muslim Vote said it would "support anyone who shares our principles of justice and fairness".

Senator Gallagher rejected Senator Payman's claim that the Labor Party could not represent modern Australia unless it allowed MPs to cross the floor.

"I disagree with that, and I think the caucus disagrees with that," Senator Gallagher told ABC Radio.

"We have our process, so we have Caucus committees, we have Caucus itself, we have factional meetings, [all] where members of the Labor Party argue and can contest the ideas that are before us.

"There's heaps of disagreement, and people bring their diversity and their own experience into those forums. We argue, we agree, and ultimately, we land on a position and that is how it works."

Mr Albanese said the pro-Palestinian protesters at Parliament House should face the "full force of the law", after public access to the building was restricted. He said the government supported peaceful protest, which had an important place in Australia, but "this was not a peaceful protest".

Speaker Milton Dick said he was concerned about the security breach and asked AFP Commissioner Reece Kershaw for an investigation into the "unacceptable behaviour" and a wider review of the building's security.

Mr Dutton said the protest was "designed to inflict fear and ?instil chaos in Australia's society".

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/politics/citizenship-revenge-labor-targets-rebel-senator-fatima-payman/news-story/be54f25426f012335e5a8fc558c8928e

#21110238 at 2024-06-29 15:39:38 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #36: BADGE OF HONOR Edition

>>21077018
Police pledge for Solomon Islands to 'strengthen regional stability'

BEN PACKHAM - June 26, 2024

Anthony Albanese has pledged Australian support to help Solomon Islands double the size of its police force as the country's new Prime Minister Jeremiah Manele vowed a Pacific-first security policy cementing Australia's role as its primary partner ahead of China.

In bilateral talks in Canberra on Wednesday, Prime Minister Albanese said Australia would come up with a plan to help Solomon Islands increase the size of its police force from 1500 to 3000 officers to strengthen its sovereignty and improve regional stability.

Mr Manele laid out a three-tier security framework for his country prioritising domestic policing, co-operation with Melanesian partners, and strengthened ties with Pacific Island Forum nations including Australia.

The policy which pointedly excludes China follows Solomon Islands' controversial security partnership with Beijing signed by the country's mercurial former prime minister Manasseh Sogavare.

Australian Federal Police commissioner Reece Kershaw attended the leaders' talks to help flesh out details of an upcoming support package that is expected to include a major police training boost.

Mr Albanese said he had tasked ministers and officials to "work together on next steps".

"Australia and Pacific Island nations are well placed to meet the security needs of our region," the Prime Minister said. "We regard security as the job of our Pacific family."

Mr Manele, who received a ceremonial welcome to Parliament House, said he wanted to "lift the current Solomon Islands-Australia relationship to another transformational partnership".

"I've committed to ensure our relationship with Australia goes from strength to strength. I have also committed to finding win-win solutions to any areas of our partnership that may require attention," he said.

He downplayed Solomon Islands' security pact with China as a "domestically-focused" agreement that was aimed at helping the country to address "internal security challenges".

Mr Manele's visit to Australia is his first since he was elected Prime Minister and comes amid improving bilateral ties. He will head to China after departing Australia, and then travel to Japan.

The Solomons' budget is in disarray, prompting a plea for a cash injection from Australia. The Albanese government is considering the request but a funding package is yet to be finalised.

Mr Manele is expected to make a similar pitch to China, but Beijing typically doesn't provide cash, preferring loan-funded infrastructure projects.

China's state-owned Global Times said the Beijing leg of Mr Manele's trip would be the "highlight" of his inaugural overseas tour, citing analysts who predicted a boost to bilateral ties.

Mr Manele said his major focus as Prime Minister was strengthening his country's economy, and he wanted to work with both Australia and China to create sustainable employment in key sectors.

"Going forward, I believe creating permanent jobs ... in Solomon Islands is critical," he said.

"Our focus is on the productive sector - forestry, fisheries, tourism. Those sectors are critical for us."

Mr Albanese said Australia was committed to supporting Solomon Islands' economy, flagging fresh support for the country's renewable energy sector and skills development for Solomon Islanders through Australia's Pacific workers scheme.

"Our position when it comes to the Pacific and economic development is very clear, which is we provide support for the Pacific family because that's who we are," he said.

"It's not a transactional thing. It's not something in which we seek to do anything other than have mutual benefit."

Mr Sogavare - who is now Solomon Islands' Treasurer and Finance Minister - conceded days ago that the country would be forced to implement cost-cutting measures due to "(tax) exemptions, mismanagement and corruption".

Solomon Islands' MP Peter Kenilorea, who leads a bloc of nine independents in the country's parliament, said Mr Manele's trip was "all about finances".

But he urged the Albanese government to "keep those purse strings tight".

"Why would Australian taxpayers bail us out when we don't have our house in order?" he asked.

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/politics/police-pledge-for-solomon-islands-to-strengthen-regional-stability/news-story/a7d44c24cff6e9e78c66f6b2477f3c84

#21054473 at 2024-06-20 11:41:25 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #36: BADGE OF HONOR Edition

>>20589296 (pb)
ASIO boss Mike Burgess has been reappointed for five more years

The Albanese government has announced the head of Australia's top security agency Mike Burgess has been reappointed for another term.

Joanne Williamson - June 20, 2024

ASIO boss Mike Burgess will continue to lead the spy agency for another term.

Federal Home Affairs Minister Clare O'Neil confirmed Mr Burgess' appointment will remain as Director-General of Security for an additional five-year term.

"Mr Burgess has made an extraordinary contribution to Australia's national security and his leadership of ASIO has been invaluable in an increasingly complex security environment," Ms O'Neil said in a statement.

"ASIO is a critical part of our national security community and plays a crucial role in protecting Australians from security threats.

"For the past 75 years ASIO's operational and analytic efforts have helped keep Australians safe from threats like terrorism, espionage, and foreign interference.

"ASIO's people are its greatest asset and every Australian is safer because of their diligent work."

Ms O'Neil later posted to X.

"On a personal note, Mike has been an incredibly important and trusted adviser to me since I was appointed Home Affairs Minister. I congratulate him on his reappointment," she said.

Mr Burgess is Australia's 14th Director-General of Security and has led ASIO since September 2019.

He has in recent years delivered forthright information about the threats to Australia's security, but courted controversy this year when he used his annual threat assessment address to reveal an ex-politician was recruited by a foreign intelligence service "several years ago" but declined to name them.

In May, Australian Federal Police Commissioner Reece Kershaw was reappointed for two years to October 26, while Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced Vice Admiral David Johnston would be the new Chief of Defence.

https://www.news.com.au/finance/work/leaders/asio-boss-mike-burgess-has-been-reappointed-for-five-more-years/news-story/37f0c228603dd3ed4cd542d114685d5e

https://x.com/MikePBurgess/status/1803676277519556887

#20959246 at 2024-06-03 10:38:39 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #36: BADGE OF HONOR Edition

>>20959239

2/2

Cooperation with Chinese police necessary, AFP says

A recent report by human rights group Safeguard Defenders uncovered 16 cases of Beijing successfully returning Australian residents to China.

Four of the six cases referred by the AFP were not contained in the Safeguard Defenders report, meaning at least 20 Australian residents have been returned to China by MPS since 2015.

Senator Shoebridge asked why the AFP would work with MPS knowing its officers secretly entered Australia in 2014 to intimidate the Melbourne bus driver, named Dong Feng, to return to China to face trial.

"These arrangements have been put in place following on from you knowing the Chinese secret police had come here without seeking your permission, without cooperating with you, to extract Mr Dong Feng to China," Senator Shoebridge said.

Deputy Commissioner McCartney acknowledged the 2014 case had caused "great concern" in Australia, but he said the AFP needed to maintain a relationship with the Chinese police agency.

"I think we have the ability to do two things at the one time," he said.

"We understand on one side of our business there is the threat of foreign interference.

"On the other side of our business, there's a need for us to work with Chinese police."

Senator Shoebridge criticised the AFP for creating their own "unofficial extradition process" in the same period that the Australian government failed to get an extradition treaty through parliament.

"When the AFP had their arrangements in place between 2015 and 2019 to facilitate Chinese police investigations onshore for the purposes of returning their targets to China, did the AFP ever reflect on the fact that there was a reason the government had no extradition treaty?" Senator Shoebridge asked.

"That was the arrangements you had - your own unofficial extradition process."

AFP Deputy Commissioner Lisa Gale replied: "I disagree. These were Chinese citizens that expressed a desire to speak to MPS ... It is up to them whether they want to return to China. This wasn't an extradition process."

Sydney spying network targeted multiple Australians, AFP says

The AFP has also confirmed a number of Australians were targeted by a spying network that was disrupted in Sydney last year.

"We did speak to a number of individuals ... and we actually did disrupt the threat through the [anti-foreign interference] task force activity that we undertook," said AFP Deputy Commissioner Krissy Barrett.

Deputy Commissioner Barrett said the investigation was ongoing.

Four Corners revealed that one of the targets of the spy network was controversial Chinese dissident "Edwin" Yin Ke.

Mr Yin told Four Corners: "They (AFP) told me they disrupted an intelligence agency in Australia in an action. They acquired some information and materials that indicated the CCP was looking for me in Australia through the intelligence agency."

AFP renewed agreements with Chinese authorities

Other than the now-abandoned protocols governing Chinese police visits to Australia, the AFP has had numerous formal agreements with Chinese security agencies. Two are with MPS - one relates to organised crime while the other deals with "economic crime".

Despite examples of such agreements being misused, the AFP re-signed both agreements in March for a further five years.

The text of the agreements are not public, despite repeated calls for greater transparency from federal politicians and international NGOs who are concerned about MPS's actions around the world.

AFP Commissioner Reece Kershaw travelled to Beijing to renew the MPS agreements.

The Chinese official who oversees MPS, Wang Xiaohong, met with Mr Kershaw and urged the AFP to "comprehensively deepen practical cooperation in law enforcement" via China's Global Security Initiative, China's Xinhua state news agency reported.

The Global Security Initiative, created by Chinese President Xi Jinping, has been used to boost ties with African and Latin American nations through military training, intelligence sharing and counterterrorism partnerships.

"[Commissioner] Kershaw expressed the willingness to enhance practical communication and cooperation in law enforcement with the Chinese side," the Xinhua report said.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-06-03/afp-stopped-allowing-chinese-police-to-operate-in-australia/103925174

https://english.www.gov.cn/news/202403/20/content_WS65fa3193c6d0868f4e8e540f.html

#20886299 at 2024-05-19 08:23:57 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #36: BADGE OF HONOR Edition

#35 - Part 32
Australian Politics and Society - Part 24
>>20769864 Video: Security chiefs to target technology giants - Australia's top spy and police chief will put tech companies on notice over terrorists, spies and criminals using end-to-end encryption and artificial intelligence to stoke ?extremism, disinformation and foreign interference, harm children, build weapons and plan attacks. Australian Security Intelligence Organisation director-general Mike Burgess and Australian Federal Police Commissioner Reece Kershaw will warn on Wednesday that technology is "not above the rule of law" and accuse social media giants of refusing to "snuff out" extremist poison. In a rare joint address to the National Press Club following last week's church terrorist attack and Bondi Junction murders in Sydney, Mr Burgess and Mr Kershaw will focus on criminals and extremists weaponising the expansion of end-to-end encryption by tech giants.
>>20769937 ASIO boss Mike Burgess says 50 per cent chance terror attack could be planned or conducted in next 12 months - There is a 50 per cent chance someone will plan or conduct an act of terrorism in Australia in the next year, ASIO Director-General Mike Burgess has revealed. Mr Burgess explained Australia's national terrorism threat level during his address to the National Press Club in Canberra on Wednesday alongside AFP Commissioner Reece P Kershaw APM. The intelligence chief said the current threat level remained at "possible". "Which means there is a 50% chance that in the next 12 months or even right now there is someone planning an act of terrorism or will conduct an act of terrorism," he said. "The most likely attack will come from an individual or a small group of individuals that go to violence with little or no warning."

>>20769978 'Unacceptable risk to the people': Teens arrested in counter-terror raids - Seven teenage boys allegedly belonging to a terror cell have been arrested in police raids across Sydney as part of a major counter-terrorism investigation launched after the stabbing of a Christian bishop last week. A further five people, including two men and three other teenage boys, are being questioned by a joint counter-terrorism squad. Police made the arrests as part of an investigation that was launched after the stabbing of Bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel at Christ The Good Shepherd Church, Wakeley, last Monday. A 16-year-old boy was charged with terrorism offences. In the days after the stabbing, officers from ASIO, Australian Federal Police, NSW Police and the NSW Crime Commission started looking into the teenager's associates. Official sources briefed on the investigation said the alleged assailant in the church stabbing was part of a loose network of teenagers who communicated on encrypted apps. The federal sources, who were authorised to publicly disclose details of the briefing, said counter-terrorism police believed some members of the group were engaging with radical Islamic material.
>>20770002 X lawyers say Sydney bishop is of 'strong view' stabbing video should be live - Lawyers representing X Corp will argue the bishop attacked in an alleged terrorist stabbing is "strongly of the view" footage of the incident should be visible, as the online safety watchdog wins an extension of a court order for the platform to hide the violent material. The Federal Court granted eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant a request to extend an injunction requiring X to hide video of the alleged stabbing on Wednesday, despite the social media platform owned by Elon Musk so far refusing to comply with the legal order. X Corp's barrister Marcus Hoyne told the court the injunction "might be futile" due to the material being shared and re-posted, suggesting that the order may have increased public awareness of the material despite efforts to block it in a phenomenon known as the Streisand effect. He also revealed that the alleged victim of the western Sydney stabbing Bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel would file an affidavit stating that he was "strongly of the view the material should be available".

#20886298 at 2024-05-19 08:23:19 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #36: BADGE OF HONOR Edition

#35 - Part 31
Australian Politics and Society - Part 23
>>20765177 Selfies, snacks and ceremonies: Albanese sets up camp for night on Kokoda Track - Greeted by the sound of tribal chants and pounding drums, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese arrived in Kokoda Village on Tuesday morning for an extravagant traditional welcome ceremony before beginning to walk the Kokoda Track. Thousands of locals, some of whom walked up to an hour for the event from remote villages, lined up along the hillside to welcome Albanese as he descended in a PNG defence helicopter after travelling from the capital, Port Moresby. The crowd included scores of schoolchildren wearing the national colours of Australia and PNG. Many waved national flags as they greeted Albanese and PNG Prime Minister James Marape. A public holiday was declared in the area for the visit from the prime ministers. Longtime residents said it was the most lavish welcome an Australian leader had received in the country since Paul Keating visited in 1992, when he kissed the ground at the site of one of the most important military campaigns in Australian history.
>>20769708 Video: Musk decision to leave knife attack video on X prompts police terror warning, says Australian senator - An Australian senator said on Wednesday that police feared Elon Musk's decision to ignore a regulator order and leave footage on his social media platform X of a Sydney bishop being stabbed might encourage people to join terrorist groups. An Australian court has upheld a regulator order for the billionaire to take down posts containing footage of the April 15 stabbing of the Assyrian bishop during a service. Senator Jacqui Lambie said that by keeping the violent posts online globally the Australian Federal Police (AFP) had told the federal court Musk's platform X created a risk that "the video could be used to encourage people in Australia to join a terrorist organisation or undertake a terrorist act". Musk "should put his big boy pants on and do the right thing, but he won't because he has no social conscience", Lambie said in her social media posts. The AFP declined to comment.

>>20769780 Video: 'Enemy of the people': Elon Musk unleashes on Jacqui Lambie after the Senator claimed the X owner 'should be 'in jail' - Elon Musk has clapped back at Senator Jacqui Lambie after she launched an attack on the billionaire amid calls for his social media platform X to remove violent content of last week's alleged terror attack. Speaking to Sky News Australia's Kieran Gilbert on Tuesday, Senator Lambie said Musk was "creating hatred" by ignoring requests to remove harmful content, and announced she would be boycotting X. "I think he's a social media knob with no social conscience, he has absolutely no social conscience," she said. "Someone like that should be in jail and the key be thrown away. That bloke should not have a right to be out there on his own ideology platform and creating hatred, showing all this stuff out there to our kids and doing all the rest. "I'll say this to everybody else, I'll be switching off X today, I'll be doing that before I get to the airport this afternoon, and I suggest that the other 226, there's 227 members of Parliament, do the same thing. Show him that you mean business." Musk responded to Ms Lambie's suggestions he should be in jail from a clip of her appearance on Sky News Australia. "This woman has utter contempt for the Australian people," he wrote.
>>20769820 Video: ASIO boss says privacy 'not absolute' as he urges social media companies to do more on extremism - Social media companies must do more to stamp out extremism and assist law enforcement to track criminals, the heads of Australia's federal police and security agencies have urged. In comments likely to provoke criticism from some civil and digital rights campaigners, the ASIO director general, Mike Burgess, will use a major speech on Wednesday to argue "privacy is important but not absolute", while the AFP commissioner, Reece Kershaw, believes "there is no absolute right to privacy". Burgess will also sound an alarm about artificial intelligence, warning the new technology "is likely to make radicalisation easier and faster". In the latest salvo in an expanding dispute between the Australian government and tech companies such as Facebook and X, Burgess and Kershaw will use a joint address to the National Press Club to call for social media companies to give more assistance to law enforcement in certain circumstances, including in cases of potential crimes being discussed on encrypted messaging platforms.

#20886289 at 2024-05-19 08:20:34 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #36: BADGE OF HONOR Edition

#35 - Part 26
Australian Politics and Society - Part 18
>>20731911 Video: 'Act of terror': Alleged attacker yelled 'Allahu Akbar' after stabbing Sydney bishop - The teenager who allegedly attacked a prominent Sydney bishop in the middle of his sermon last night screamed "Allahu Akbar" after plunging a knife into his face, neck and torso at least eight times. Police allege a 16-year-old male stabbed Bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel at the Christ the Good Shepherd Church in Wakeley the city's west at about 7.10pm last night. The incident, which was captured on a live YouTube stream of the Assyrian orthodox Christian service, has been declared a terrorist attack. In addition to allegedly yelling "Allahu Akbar", counter-terrorism authorities are also aware of other comments the male is accused of making, including a reference to the Islamic prophet Muhammad. Separate vision circulating on social media show the aftermath of the alleged attack, with several man holding the teenager face down on the ground. One of the men holding him down strikes him in the back of the head and says in English: "While people are praying, you're gonna do this? You're gonna f*cking do this?" The chilling vision shows the teen's grinning face being revealed, prompting anger from one onlooker. "You're a f*cking idiot. Laughing? You're a f*cking idiot. You're gonna cop it."
>>20731928 Video: PM calls for Australians to 'unite, not divide' after Sydney church stabbing - Australians have been urged to remain vigilant and report suspicious behaviour after an alleged terrorist attack against a Sydney priest prompted a call for peace from Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Islamic leaders. As the nation remains in shock over the weekend's Bondi stabbing spree, Albanese declared there was no space for "violent extremism" in a peace-loving, multicultural nation after a Christian leader and a number of his followers were stabbed at a church in Sydney's west on Monday night. The prime minister chaired a meeting of the national security committee of cabinet on Tuesday before holding a press conference with federal police chief Reece Kershaw and ASIO boss Mike Burgess in Canberra. Albanese confirmed the incident inside the church on Monday night was being treated as religiously motivated, a development which gives NSW police extraordinary powers to search people and vehicles and demand the disclosure of people's identities to avoid any further violence. "There is no place for violence in our community. There's no place for violent extremism. We're a peace-loving nation. This is a time to unite, not divide, as a community, and as a country," Albanese said.

>>20731951 Video: Bishop questioned Islam before livestreamed terror attack - The high-profile Assyrian Christian orthodox leader stabbed during a live stream of his service has in the past vocally proclaimed support for Palestinian civilians and criticised Israel's actions in Gaza, but has also said he had a "question mark with Islam", as authorities scramble to investigate the motive for Monday's terror attack. Bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel has questioned the validity of other faiths, including and particularly Islam, but said that he has "love and respect for Muslims". His views, religious leaders explained, were a conservative orthodox reading of Christianity - that only Jesus Christ of Nazareth was the way to heaven - which, alongside all different faith views, "should be tolerated and accepted in Australia". He has, however, taken aim at the Islamic faith. "This is a very controversial topic, but the truth must be said," the bishop said in a recent sermon, uploaded in March. "... With all my love and respect (for Muslims), I don't have a problem with the Muslim people. But I've got a question mark with the faith of the Islamic world."
>>20731990 Video: eSafety commissioner orders X and Meta to remove violent videos following Sydney church stabbing - Facebook's parent company Meta and X/Twitter have been told to remove violent and distressing videos and imagery of the stabbing of a prominent Orthodox Christian leader in Sydney's west on Monday evening. The eSafety commissioner, Julie Inman Grant, told reporters on Tuesday that X and Meta had been issued with notices to remove material within 24 hours that depicted "gratuitous or offensive violence with a high degree of impact or detail", with the companies facing potential fines if they fail to comply. "While the majority of mainstream social media platforms have engaged with us, I am not satisfied enough is being done to protect Australians from this most extreme and gratuitous violent material circulating online," Inman Grant said. "That is why I am exercising my powers under the Online Safety Act to formally compel them to remove it."

#19822230 at 2023-10-29 05:37:14 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #32: YOU ARE NOT ALONE IN THIS FIGHT Edition

#32 - Part 96
Australia / China Tensions - Part 12
>>19792384 Video: "Five Eyes" intelligence leaders warn of China's global espionage campaign - War in the Middle East has the FBI tracking more potential threats of terrorism in the United States. Tonight, the bureau's director, Christopher Wray, tells us his main concern is not an organized attack but lone actors inspired by the violence. We met Wray, Wednesday, for an unprecedented interview that included him and the intelligence directors of our english-speaking allies. Together, they know more about the threats in the world than perhaps anyone. They're known as the Five Eyes and they have never appeared in an interview together. They're doing it now because they're alarmed by China which they say is the greatest espionage threat democracy has ever faced. - 60 Minutes USA
>>19792391 Five Eyes accustomed to fabricating, spreading lies about China: Chinese FM - The Chinese Foreign Ministry on Monday refuted the Five Eyes' remarks hyping the "China espionage threat." The so-called accusations are groundless, and full of slander and smears against China, said Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning at a regular press briefing on Monday. "China doesn't accept and firmly opposes it," Mao said. China attaches great importance to and is committed to protecting intellectual property rights, and safeguarding international security. The "Five Eyes Alliance" is the world's biggest intelligence association, which is accustomed to fabricating and spreading false information about China, Mao said. The US, with its technological advantages, unscrupulously conducts eavesdropping and spying on a global scale without distinction, even not sparing their own allies, Mao noted. - Global Times - globaltimes.cn
>>19792399 China-Australia ties 'warming' ahead of Albanese visit - China welcomes Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to visit China and attend the 6th China International Import Expo (CIIE) at the invitation of Chinese Premier Li Qiang, China's Foreign Ministry said on Monday. A sound and stable bilateral relationship serves fundamental interests of the two countries and their people, and it is conducive to regional and world peace and stability, it noted. Observers said the visit, adding to a flurry of consensuses and business exchanges between the two sides in recent days, marks another positive step toward repairing China-Australia relations, which have shown signs of thawing and improving since the beginning of this year. It also underscores Australia's desire to expand business ties with the world's second-largest consumer market and boost exports of products such as wine to cope with rising economic uncertainties and global headwinds. But moves to warm up bilateral economic ties are only the first step, and observers cautioned that Canberra needs to make more concrete efforts and show more sincerity to bring bilateral relations back to the right track. It is also of vital importance for Australia to be diplomatically independent from the US, and not to continue with what some describe as a "semi-decoupling" attempt with China, analysts noted. - GT staff reporters - globaltimes.cn
>>19792423 Police questioned on why they allowed Hong Kong officers to visit cyber centre - An Australian lawyer with a police bounty on his head in Hong Kong has questioned why officers from the Chinese territory were allowed into Australia for training, calling it "traumatising" for pro-democracy activists being targeted by Beijing. The Coalition is also grilling Australian Federal Police's top brass about why the Hong Kong officers were allowed to visit a cyber coordination centre in Australia, given ASIO head Mike Burgess recently accused China of "unprecedented" cyber espionage to obtain intellectual property. Six members of the Hong Kong Police Force recently completed Australian Institute of Police Management programs and toured AFP sites in Canberra and Perth. AFP commissioner Reece Kershaw defended the program, telling Senate estimates on Monday night that Australia needed to maintain cooperation with police in both China and Hong Kong to help crackdown on drug smuggling. "We do actually continually share intelligence with [China] ... we are actually a net receiver of intelligence and that intelligence has led to protecting a lot of Australians from harm, particularly from illicit drugs," he said. "It's a challenging situation that we're faced with, with the complexity of the world we're in at the moment."

#19792423 at 2023-10-24 10:45:13 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #32: YOU ARE NOT ALONE IN THIS FIGHT Edition

>>19755118
>>19755135
>>19792379
Police questioned on why they allowed Hong Kong officers to visit cyber centre

Stephen Dziedzic - 24 October 2023

1/2

An Australian lawyer with a police bounty on his head in Hong Kong has questioned why officers from the Chinese territory were allowed into Australia for training, calling it "traumatising" for pro-democracy activists being targeted by Beijing.

The Coalition is also grilling Australian Federal Police's top brass about why the Hong Kong officers were allowed to visit a cyber coordination centre in Australia, given ASIO head Mike Burgess recently accused China of "unprecedented" cyber espionage to obtain intellectual property.

Six members of the Hong Kong Police Force recently completed Australian Institute of Police Management programs and toured AFP sites in Canberra and Perth.

AFP commissioner Reece Kershaw defended the program, telling Senate estimates on Monday night that Australia needed to maintain cooperation with police in both China and Hong Kong to help crackdown on drug smuggling.

"We do actually continually share intelligence with [China] ... we are actually a net receiver of intelligence and that intelligence has led to protecting a lot of Australians from harm, particularly from illicit drugs," he said.

"It's a challenging situation that we're faced with, with the complexity of the world we're in at the moment."

But Shadow Home Affairs Minister James Paterson zeroed in on the training program, saying the imposition of China's national security law in Hong Kong and the vast crackdown on civil liberties in the territory raised deep questions about training their police in Australia.

"At this moment they are out there arresting people for lighting candles to commemorate Tiananmen Square, they are locking up media proprietors ... they are locking up unionists, they are locking up opposition politicians," he said.

"Do we really think this level of cooperation with the Hong Kong police force is appropriate?"

'Traumatic' to learn Hong Kong police were in Australia, says pro-democracy lawyer

Melbourne-based lawyer Kevin Yam is one of eight overseas-based pro-democracy activists who has been targeted by Hong Kong police, who accused him of "serious" national security offences and offered a reward of $HK1 million ($192,000) for information leading to his arrest.

"While I don't question the AFP's professionalism, to have Hong Kong police in their official capacity being physically in Australia, from a personal perspective, is pretty traumatic," he told the ABC.

"I wasn't born yesterday, I know in this world you sometimes need to deal with unsavoury characters, the Hong Kong police being one of them.

"However, you can imagine that for people like me it's pretty traumatising ... when in Australia I have to rely on the Australian police to keep an eye over me."

"I know that they're 800km away in Sydney and Canberra but still, it just doesn't sit right with me to see Hong Kong cops here."

(continued)

#19587714 at 2023-09-21 10:14:15 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #32: YOU ARE NOT ALONE IN THIS FIGHT Edition

>>19529127
1.2 million postal votes could delay voice count

GEOFF CHAMBERS - SEPTEMBER 21, 2023

A record 1.2 million Australians have applied for postal votes and millions more are expected to vote at prepoll booths in the two-weeks ahead of Anthony Albanese's voice referendum, potentially delaying a final result in the event of a tight count.

The Australian Electoral Commission has also put a call out for workers to staff booths across the country, particularly in rural and remote areas, with 63,000 out of a required 100,000 confirmed.

After rolls were closed on Monday night, AEC Commissioner Tom Rogers on Thursday said more than 17.6 million Australians were eligible to cast their vote on October 14.

Mr Rogers said the surge in postal applications could impact the count if the result is close.

"Currently we're sitting at close to 1.2 million applications for postal votes for this event. If we looked at the election in 2022 as a comparison, it's probably 200,000 more applications for this event. (The 2022 election) was a high watermark for postal votes because of the pandemic," Mr Rogers said.

"People have asked me, will we get a result on the night and the answer is I don't no. It depends on how close the result is.

"But already at this stage with weeks to run, if we're at 1.2 million postal votes it could well be that we have to wait for the postal votes to be returned before the result becomes clear. And we have to wait for a full 13 day period under law just to deal with that."

Mr Rogers said "we can only count the votes that we have, so on the evening we may have to wait for those votes to come in".

Similar to postal vote trends at general elections where the Coalition outperforms Labor, the No campaign is confident they will beat Yes23 on postals.

Mr Rogers said they were continuing their recruitment drive, with the AEC needing 100,000 temporary workers to run more than 500 early voting centres and over 7,000 polling places on October 14.

"We're advertising for staff. We've indicated previously we need around about 100,000 people. I urge individuals in remote and rural areas who feel that they can work with us to do that," he said.

"We've sent around 95,000 offers out already, we've had about 63,000 confirmed and we're satisfied with the way that it's going. We're really pushing for people, particularly in remote areas, who can work with us, please do."

The AEC Commissioner said 97.7 voters had enrolled - the highest number since federation - including 91.4 per cent and 94.1 per cent young and Indigenous Australians. Australians living abroad will also vote in record numbers at 105 missions around the globe.

Referendum booklets have now been published in 34 foreign languages and 12 Indigenous languages, with an additional First Nations language to be released in coming days.

Mr Rogers, who recently met with AFP commissioner Reece Kershaw about security arrangements, said levels of misinformation and abuse levelled at AEC staff were at record highs and the AEC has been rebuffed by unnamed social media companies following requests to remove content.

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/politics/12-million-postal-votes-could-delay-voice-count/news-story/db2038b6c35acd7fbe1440200342257a

#18386885 at 2023-02-21 08:39:29 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #27: THEY ARE IN FULL BLOWN PANIC MODE Edition

Drug Enforcement Administration agents sent back to America after complaint

Two agents from the American Drug Enforcement Administration have been told to return home after the AFP complained to US ambassador Caroline Kennedy about their methods of investigating a huge drug importation.

Mark Morri - February 21, 2023

EXCLUSIVE: Two Sydney-based agents from the American Drug Enforcement Administration are being sent home after the Australian Federal Police complained to US ambassador Caroline Kennedy about methods of investigating a massive drug importation.

The DEA agents have not been accused of wrongdoing but the AFP fears their investigation techniques may have impacted on operations, particularly involving a major cocaine shipment destined for Western Australia and NSW.

The complaint comes amid a wider dispute over policing methods in which some state police forces believe the AFP are more interested in seizing and destroying drugs than investigating the syndicates behind them.

Some NSW police have gone as far as to say this could have led to criminal groups wrongly thinking a missing consignment of drugs had been stolen which sparked the Alameddine-Hamzy war leading to multiple gangland hits and kidnappings.

"There are some who believe the feds seized the drugs and one group thought someone had stolen it and that set things off," one NSW officer said.

Federal Police Commissioner Reece Kershaw made a complaint to the US Embassy saying his officers were having difficulties in working with the two DEA officers.

"The AFP does not comment on current operational matters. It is imperative international agencies that operate in Australia adhere to Australian laws and respect Australia's sovereignty,'' the AFP said in a statement.

A number of police officers in NSW and interstate believe the controversy was sparked by the DEA's general approach of dealing directly with the state crime bodies and bypassing the federal police.

"The DEA has done nothing wrong and all this does is make catching international drug dealers harder," one interstate officer said.

"More often than not state police have more patience and are in a better position to conduct long investigations which get more of the players after the drugs have arrived.

"Truth be known, the DEA and the state cops have a similar view of thinking the long game where they substitute the drugs and try to follow it.

"Federal police are very quick to just seize the drugs. Problem with that is the syndicate just get another consignment in the works ... losing a shipment means nothing to them because they are making that much money," he said.

There are suggestions the AFP has been angered by several instances where the DEA passed on information to the state police and not federal police.

Investigators from the DEA's internal affairs unit have been in Australia recently looking into the complaint by the AFP. The US Embassy said it would not comment but it is believed the officers have been instructed to go home.

NSW Police said it was not involved and would not comment.

The complaint against the highly respected DEA has shocked many police around the country.

The AFP were instrumental in working with the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in Operation Ironside which has been referred to as the "crime sting of the century".

Criminals around the world were duped into using an encrypted device called ANOM which they believed allowed them to carry out their illegal activities without being detected by law enforcement when in fact the FBI, the AFP and other agencies around the world were collecting the messages in real time.

Some of the world's leading drug cartels, including Australian syndicates, have been dismantled with intelligence gathered by AFP from Operation Ironside.

Information gleaned from the ANOM devices prevented a number of murders and kidnappings throughout Australia, according to police.

https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/truecrimeaustralia/police-courts-nsw/drug-enforcement-agency-agents-sent-back-to-america-after-complaint/news-story/cc230a845da76095210d1d087e5d372c

https://www.skynews.com.au/world-news/united-states/dea-agents-sent-packing-after-afp-complaint-about-drug-bust-methods/video/6d06547d78dbc5f8a8caeea23614ad3e

#16701659 at 2022-07-10 01:17:08 (UTC+1)
Q Research Australia #25: My Koala Hates Spam Too Edition

#23 and #24 - Part 3
Australian Politics and Society - Part 3
>>16399563 Video: 'I've stepped up' Australian soldier declares from Ukrainian front line while fighting against Russia
>>16403519 Anthony Albanese, Joko Widodo agree to strengthen ties during Indonesia visit
>>16403557 Australian injured on Ukraine frontline - An Australian man who joined the Ukraine foreign legion has been injured on the war's frontline, coming under fire during some of the fiercest fighting in Sievierodonetsk
>>16403557 Radio Svoboda Tweet: The Armed Forces are trying to gain a foothold in Severodonetsk and prepare for counter-offensive operations. They were assisted by units of foreigners from around the world, who voluntarily formed a separate special unit and are fighting on the side of Ukraine.
>>16403563 Video: The Foreign Legion entered Severodonetsk. Fighting for the city continues - Radio Svoboda Ukraine
>>16403575 Google ordered to pay John Barilaro $715,000 over 'vulgar' YouTube videos made by comedian Jordan Shanks
>>16403591 Bilderberg: World's most secretive group meets in Washington without a single Australian among the attendees
>>16408454 Federal Court orders Twitter to release information on controversial @PRGuy17 account - The Federal Court has ordered Twitter to release information that could reveal the identity of the person behind a high-profile political account that attracted large audiences during the pandemic with its pro-lockdown and pro-Labor commentary
>>16408480 Video: Man who struck police horse and threw traffic bollard at officer during Melbourne lockdown protests pleads guilty
>>16408493 Video: Operation Ironside - Australian Federal Police targeting Italian mafia figures in next phase of 'AN0M' probe, using intelligence gained from a secret app planted on the mobile phones of organised criminals

>>16408509 Australian Federal Police issue crack down on Mafia-style crime families - Police are conducting a nationwide sting to crack down on Italian organised crime families they believe are pulling the strings of bikie gangs
>>16408568 Marine Rotational Force - Darwin Facebook Post: Video: SOUTHERN JACKAROO 22 - "There is only one thing worse than fighting with allies, and that is fighting without them" -Winston Churchill - On the day we remember the brave Soldiers at Normandy, we look to strengthen our alliances around the world in support of freedom, and to stand against tyranny.
>>16413315 AFP intel aids global crackdown - Australian Federal Police helping hunt down Italian organised crime syndicates in Europe with intelligence gathered through the Trojan horse mobile phone app, 'AN0M'
>>16413332 Queensland man charged over impersonating Australian Federal Police commissioner Reece Kershaw, importing 500 counterfeit AFP badges
>>16413349 Delil Alexander, suspected Islamic State terrorist and dual Australian-Turkish citizen has Australian citizenship returned after High Court strikes down key section of Citizenship Act
>>16413391 NASA launching three rockets from Arnhem Space Centre in the Northern Territory, June 26 to July 12 2022
>>16415735 AFP warns Five Eyes Law Enforcement Group that foreign governments are supporting organised crime in Australia
>>16418526 Labor must not torpedo crucial submarine plan - Peter Dutton, Leader of the Federal Opposition - theaustralian.com.au
>>16418564 Australian Federal Police Commissioner Reece Kershaw warns Five Eyes about hostile governments
>>16418573 Police probe into Chinese money laundering syndicate headquartered in Australia - Australian law enforcement agencies, in partnership with officials from the United States and Canada, have also compiled intelligence that suggests Chinese companies and brokers are supplying the vast majority of precursor chemicals used to make illicit drugs on the Australian market

#16655161 at 2022-07-07 08:33:22 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #24: TRUMP CARD COMING Edition

#23 - Part 3
Australian Politics and Society - Part 3
>>16399563 Video: 'I've stepped up' Australian soldier declares from Ukrainian front line while fighting against Russia
>>16403519 Anthony Albanese, Joko Widodo agree to strengthen ties during Indonesia visit
>>16403557 Australian injured on Ukraine frontline - An Australian man who joined the Ukraine foreign legion has been injured on the war's frontline, coming under fire during some of the fiercest fighting in Sievierodonetsk
>>16403557 Radio Svoboda Tweet: The Armed Forces are trying to gain a foothold in Severodonetsk and prepare for counter-offensive operations. They were assisted by units of foreigners from around the world, who voluntarily formed a separate special unit and are fighting on the side of Ukraine.
>>16403563 Video: The Foreign Legion entered Severodonetsk. Fighting for the city continues - Radio Svoboda Ukraine
>>16403575 Google ordered to pay John Barilaro $715,000 over 'vulgar' YouTube videos made by comedian Jordan Shanks
>>16403591 Bilderberg: World's most secretive group meets in Washington without a single Australian among the attendees
>>16408454 Federal Court orders Twitter to release information on controversial @PRGuy17 account - The Federal Court has ordered Twitter to release information that could reveal the identity of the person behind a high-profile political account that attracted large audiences during the pandemic with its pro-lockdown and pro-Labor commentary
>>16408480 Video: Man who struck police horse and threw traffic bollard at officer during Melbourne lockdown protests pleads guilty
>>16408493 Video: Operation Ironside - Australian Federal Police targeting Italian mafia figures in next phase of 'AN0M' probe, using intelligence gained from a secret app planted on the mobile phones of organised criminals

>>16408509 Australian Federal Police issue crack down on Mafia-style crime families - Police are conducting a nationwide sting to crack down on Italian organised crime families they believe are pulling the strings of bikie gangs
>>16408568 Marine Rotational Force - Darwin Facebook Post: Video: SOUTHERN JACKAROO 22 - "There is only one thing worse than fighting with allies, and that is fighting without them" -Winston Churchill - On the day we remember the brave Soldiers at Normandy, we look to strengthen our alliances around the world in support of freedom, and to stand against tyranny.
>>16413315 AFP intel aids global crackdown - Australian Federal Police helping hunt down Italian organised crime syndicates in Europe with intelligence gathered through the Trojan horse mobile phone app, 'AN0M'
>>16413332 Queensland man charged over impersonating Australian Federal Police commissioner Reece Kershaw, importing 500 counterfeit AFP badges
>>16413349 Delil Alexander, suspected Islamic State terrorist and dual Australian-Turkish citizen has Australian citizenship returned after High Court strikes down key section of Citizenship Act
>>16413391 NASA launching three rockets from Arnhem Space Centre in the Northern Territory, June 26 to July 12 2022
>>16415735 AFP warns Five Eyes Law Enforcement Group that foreign governments are supporting organised crime in Australia
>>16418526 Labor must not torpedo crucial submarine plan - Peter Dutton, Leader of the Federal Opposition - theaustralian.com.au
>>16418564 Australian Federal Police Commissioner Reece Kershaw warns Five Eyes about hostile governments
>>16418573 Police probe into Chinese money laundering syndicate headquartered in Australia - Australian law enforcement agencies, in partnership with officials from the United States and Canada, have also compiled intelligence that suggests Chinese companies and brokers are supplying the vast majority of precursor chemicals used to make illicit drugs on the Australian market

#16418573 at 2022-06-09 09:43:41 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #23: HOUSE OF CARDS Edition

>>16418564
Police probe into Chinese money laundering syndicate headquartered in Australia

Nick McKenzie and Anthony Galloway - June 8, 2022

1/2

Police have uncovered a suspected Chinese money laundering syndicate headquartered in Victoria and NSW that is moving hundreds of millions of dollars annually to China and across the globe, raising serious questions about whether Beijing is turning a blind eye to organised crime.

Australian law enforcement agencies, in partnership with officials from the United States and Canada, have also compiled intelligence that suggests Chinese companies and brokers are supplying the vast majority of precursor chemicals used to make illicit drugs on the Australian market.

The suspected money laundering syndicate, known as the "Chen Organisation", counts as its customers a relative of Chinese President Xi Jinping, along with Asian triads and bikies, according to briefings from officials.

Australian Federal Police (AFP) Commissioner Reece Kershaw told his "Five Eyes" counterparts on Tuesday night that some "countries ... [are] producing precursors at an eye-watering scale", and governments were "turning a blind eye to the proceeds of crime washing through their economies".

The speech in Sydney to the Five Eyes Law Enforcement Group did not identify the Chinese Communist Party by name, but his remarks appeared aimed at Beijing. The Five Eyes group - Australia, the US, New Zealand, Britain and Canada - share intelligence to target serious transnational organised crime. The speech was also attended by Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus, the minister responsible for the AFP.

"State actors and citizens from some nations are using our countries at the expense of our sovereignty and economies," Kershaw said. "Unfortunately, federal crime in Australia is increasing. Contributing to this increase is the long shadow of organised crime and state aggression."

In what was a veiled reference to the Chen Organisation, Kershaw described "money-laundering organisations from one region alone [that] are clearly visible in all Five Eyes countries".

"They maintain global financial flows by exploiting illicit and legitimate industries across our countries," the police chief said.

Money-moving businesses linked to the Chen Organisation include a company based in a nondescript house in Melbourne's eastern suburbs. The business has been investigated by state and federal agencies since 2016 over allegations it transferred hundreds of millions of dollars in suspect wealth for figures linked to organised crime, including criminally linked Victorian Simon Pan.

Law enforcement and intelligence officials have also tracked money movements from one of Pan's business partners, Ming Chai, who is the cousin of Xi. The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald previously reported how Chai was of particular interest to the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO) due to his family ties with the Chinese president and business links with Chinese crime figures and Chinese Communist Party operatives in Melbourne. Chai, who has not been charged with any criminal offence, previously worked for a Chinese public security agency and telecommunications company with documented ties to the Chinese military-industrial complex.

Pan, who runs a brothel and escort agency in Melbourne along with a business providing short-term loans and transport to high-wealth Chinese gamblers, has moved more than $200 million via the Chen Organisation, some of which officials believe is the proceeds of crime.

Chai has moved at least $1 million via entities tied to the Chen Organisation, a network of money remitting agencies operating in Australia, Canada, the US and New Zealand. Officials suspect the organisation is controlled by a Chinese-born New Zealand citizen and his wife, who also holds a New Zealand passport.

(continued)

#16418564 at 2022-06-09 09:35:53 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #23: HOUSE OF CARDS Edition

AFP Commissioner Reece Kershaw warns Five Eyes about hostile governments

ADELAIDE LANG and COURTNEY GOULD - JUNE 9, 2022

Hostile foreign governments are helping criminal organisations to traffic drugs and launder money, according to the nation's police boss.

In an address to the Five Eyes Law Enforcement Group in Sydney on Wednesday night, Australian Federal Police Commissioner Reece Kershaw argued that international police co-operation was more important than ever before.

He told the assembled authorities from the US, UK, Canada, New Zealand and Australia that the world "has never been smaller" for criminal organisations.

"Criminals are no longer bound by, or deterred by, state borders," Mr Kershaw said.

"State actors and citizens from some nations are using our countries at the expense of our sovereignty and economies," Australia's top policeman told representatives from international agencies.

Mr Kershaw emphasised the continued significance of geopolitics in policing and blamed "the inaction of certain governments" for fuelling the increase in crime.

"We cannot ignore that some countries are producing (drug) precursors at an eye-watering scale," he told the meeting.

"We also cannot ignore that some countries, I'd argue, are turning a blind eye to the proceeds of crime washing through their economies."

While Mr Kershaw did not single out a particular country, his US counterpart pointed to Russia, China and Iran as "getting in the way of justice".

"Each of those countries ... actually leverage criminals, nefarious cyber actors, to commit attacks against our countries, to steal from our countries, to break the laws within our countries," Deputy FBI director Paul Abbate told Sky News.

"It's well beyond just providing a safe haven for traditional criminal groups, criminal actors."

From cartels to working across borders, a major concern for the Five Eyes is the number of individuals radicalised online.

"We've seen a change away from the large organised terrorist groups towards individuals who are self-initiated, who are radicalised online, finding their ideologies on the internet," UK Metropolitan Assistant Commissioner Matt Jukes said.

"Sadly, we've seen a lot of mental ill health in those cases, and tragically, many, many young people increasingly drawn not just to twisted religious ideologies but also to extreme ideological motivations from the far right."

Forty-one per cent of the arrests made in the UK last year by Metropolitan Police were related to right-wing terrorism.

"Three out of four of the late stage plots we disrupted were extreme right-wing terrorism," Mr Jukes said.

Despite the continuous efforts of the Australian Federal Police, Mr Kershaw said federal crimes had increased in Australia.

Australia's top policeman claimed billions of dollars were being laundered through the country's economy and drugs imported by organised crime syndicates were "indiscriminately killing and maiming law-abiding citizens".

"We are worried about what the future holds if we cannot sever the growing tentacles of organised crime," Mr Kershaw told the crowd, which included newly appointed Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus.

"We have a long way to go."

Australia couldn't defeat "the global plague" of international serious organised crime without the help of its international policing partners, Mr Kershaw admitted.

He urged the assembled Five Eyes member authorities to work together to ensure "policing transcends politics".

"We know how devastatingly effective we can be when we work together," Mr Kershaw said.

"The largest syndicate in the world is us - law enforcement. Our ability to immobilise serious crime is limited only by our collective will."

The alarming speech follows an announcement earlier this week that the AFP will be targeting Italian organised crime clans laundering billions of dollars through Australia.

In announcing the nationwide sting on syndicates involved with illicit drugs and money laundering, the AFP noted that it had consulted with international authorities and would continue to do so.

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/breaking-news/afp-commissioner-Reece-Kershaw-warns-five-eyes-about-hostile-governments/news-story/d1201ac7397aded7db0f60ef53226787

#16415735 at 2022-06-08 20:01:03 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #23: HOUSE OF CARDS Edition

General Research #20767 >>16415550

AFP warns Five Eyes Law Enforcement Group that foreign governments are supporting organised crime in Australia

Drug cartels and other organised crime groups are being infiltrated and assisted by hostile foreign governments to launder dirty cash and peddle illegal substances in Australia.

Key points:

AFP Commissioner Reece Kershaw gave a speech to the Five Eyes Law Enforcement Group

The group includes the FBI, DEA, UK Met Police, NZ Police and Royal Canadian Mounted Police

He says "the long shadow of organised crime and state aggression" is fuelling an increase in serious crimes

The alarming assessment was made by the country's top policeman at a Sydney meeting of leading crime-fighting figures from the Five Eyes nations of the US, UK, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.

Australian Federal Police Commissioner Reece Kershaw, who currently chairs the Five Eyes Law Enforcement Group (FLEG) says "the long shadow of organised crime and state aggression" is fuelling an increase in serious crimes.

"State actors and citizens from some nations are using our countries at the expense of our sovereignty and economies," Commissioner Kershaw told a gathering of visiting representatives from domestic and international agencies on Wednesday night.

Speaking to top figures from organisations including the FBI, Royal Canadian Mounted Police, New Zealand Police and the UK's National Crime Agency, Commissioner Kershaw confirmed that "federal crime in Australia is increasing".

"Contributing to this increase is the long shadow of organised crime and state aggression," he told his audience, which included new Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus.

"For the AFP, geopolitics and regional instability continue to influence our strategic priorities," he said.

"Our operational focus remains countering terrorism, espionage and foreign interference; child exploitation; cyber; fraud, and transnational serious organised crime - what we call transnational, serious and organised crime (TSOC)".

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-06-08/five-eyes-law-enforcement-group-representatives-in-australia/101135068

#16413332 at 2022-06-08 10:36:17 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #23: HOUSE OF CARDS Edition

Queensland man charged over impersonating AFP commissioner

Anna Macdonald - June 8, 2022

Australian Federal Police have charged a man in Queensland with impersonating a commonwealth official.

A video posted by the man to social media showed a person allegedly claiming to be the AFP commissioner Reece Kershaw. The AFP says the man in the video is not the commissioner.

The video, circulated on social media, detailed false plans by the AFP to overthrow the federal government.

The man has also been charged with importing fake AFP badges. The charges were laid under the ongoing Queensland Joint Counter Terrorism Team (JCTT) investigation.

The police allege 500 counterfeit badges were part of a delivery from China to the man; 470 badges have been recovered.

AFP assistant commissioner for counter-terrorism Scott Lee emphasised investigations are ongoing.

"While there is no evidence the group had the ability to carry out any specific violent acts, the AFP and its partners take all threats of this nature seriously, and we have not hesitated to bring people before the courts to answer for their alleged criminal acts," Lee said in a statement.

It is the third arrest of the investigation, with a Western Australian man charged last August and a South Australian woman charged last September.

The Queensland man appeared in Cooktown Circuit Court and was granted bail, and is scheduled to appear next on July 13.

Queensland Police Service (QPS) security and counter-terrorism command assistant commissioner Debbie Platz said the collaboration between the federal and state forces will continue.

"Our agencies continue to work collaboratively, not just in investigating and prosecuting offenders but also in the field of prevention and early intervention through to responding and disrupting criminal activity.

"Working together in the Queensland JCTT ensures we can provide ongoing attention and resources to keep Queenslanders safe," Platz said.

The charges brought against the man carry a maximum penalty of two years' imprisonment.

https://www.themandarin.com.au/191813-queensland-man-charged-over-impersonating-afp-commissioner/

#16040685 at 2022-04-09 05:25:14 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #22: THIS IS NOT ANOTHER 3-YEAR ELECTION Edition

#21 - Part 25
Child Exploitation, Pedophilia, Sexual Abuse and Human Trafficking Investigations - Part 2
>>15916711 NSW MP Gareth Ward charged with sexual violence; Premier Dominic Perrottet seeks his resignation from parliament
>>15924222 Hillsong Church founder Brian Houston resigns after internal misconduct investigation
>>15932317 Video: Prime Minister Scott Morrison joins growing chorus of Hillsong Church allies to distance themselves from founder Brian Houston
>>15932328 PM 'shocked and disappointed' by Houston resignation, not been a Hillsong member for 15 years
>>15932331 NSW MP Gareth Ward suspended from parliament over historic sexual abuse charges after he refused to resign
>>15940215 Foreign Minister Marise Payne Statement - International Engagement Strategy on Human Trafficking and Modern Slavery - 25 March 2022 - "We have zero tolerance for those who exploit the vulnerable."
>>15940215 PDF: Australian Government International Engagement Strategy on Human Trafficking and Modern Slavery: Delivering in Partnership (2022)

>>15947677 Perth Children's Hospital nurse Peter De Mouilpied made dozens of child exploitation videos, court hears
>>15962247 Gerald Ridsdale - arguably Australia's most prolific paedophile priest - faces court on fresh charges that allege he abused two boys 40 years ago
>>15962328 Woman living with cerebral palsy tells Disability Royal Commission she was 'raped and assaulted' by carer
>>15962328 Royal Commission into Violence, Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation of People with Disability - Public hearing 17: The experience of women and girls with disability with a particular focus on family, domestic and sexual violence - 28 March 2022
>>15968645 Stewart Iain Berry and husband Mathew Campbell face SA court accused of involvement in Jadd Brooker's online pedophile ring
>>15981879 Australian Federal Police will use $142 million budget allocation to develop "specialist capability" to tackle serious crime enabled by anonymising technology - New account takeover and data disruption powers are the 'envy' of the United States, says Commissioner Reece Kershaw
>>16008504 Pedophile John Wayne Millwood disperses fortune to thwart victim of record $5.3m in civil damages
>>16022022 Paedophiles should forfeit superannuation to pay compensation, child sex abuse victim Andy Martin says

#16040672 at 2022-04-09 05:23:38 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #22: THIS IS NOT ANOTHER 3-YEAR ELECTION Edition

#21 - Part 21
Coronavirus / COVID-19 Pandemic, Australia and Worldwide
>>15600512 Australians told to get COVID boosters to be considered fully vaccinated
>>15600521 Quad ministers address Indo-Pacific 'coercion', climate, COVID
>>15608324 Video: Incredible scenes as anti-vaccine mandate protesters swarm Canberra streets - Up to 10,000 anti-vaccine protesters have taken to the streets of Canberra, with police making multiple arrests during incredible scenes near Parliament House
>>15640390 West Australian ban thwarts AUKUS submarines tour - A high-level AUKUS delegation to Australia to help fast-track the nation's nuclear submarines has been forced to postpone a planned visit to Western Australia's HMAS Stirling - home of the Collins-class subs - due to the McGowan government's strict quarantine requirements
>>15656192 Australia's biggest states ease more COVID-19 curbs ahead of border reopening
>>15656221 Video: Omicron 'clearly not' as threatening as flu, says Dr Nick Coatsworth - news.com.au
>>15656223 Video: Former deputy chief medical officer Dr Nick Coatsworth says Omicron variant is 'clearly not' as threatening as influenza - Sky News Australia
>>15664451 Australia reports 43 COVID deaths before expanded border reopening
>>15664466 Video: Victoria set to open purpose-built quarantine hub - 9 News Australia
>>15672473 Australian Federal Police Commissioner Reece Kershaw vows to ramp up enforcement action against protesters inciting violence, even if not committing it themselves
>>15680632 'Welcome back world!': Australia fully reopens borders after two years - 2 February 2022

>>15727103 Australia reports 35 more COVID-19 deaths as masks come off in eastern states - 26 February 2022
>>15743113 Video: Bill Gates praises 'Aussie response' to pandemics - cnbc.com
>>15743113 Is it possible to prevent the next pandemic? If every country does what Australia did, says Bill Gates
>>15743123 Video: Bill Gates: 'If every country does what Australia did,' the world could prevent the next pandemic
>>15761198 Prime Minister Scott Morrison tests positive to Covid-19 - 1 March 2022
>>15845764 Australia nears living with COVID like flu - PM Morrison - 12 March 2022
>>15881176 Dr Nick Coatsworth reacts to Pfizer's claim most people will need four doses of the Covid vaccine
>>15882249 Video: South Australia's Stevens, Spurrier, Marshall and their Covidian Web of Lies - South Australia In Focus
>>15932302 Moderna will produce its mRNA vaccines in Australia from 2024, with final deal signed off
>>15962087 Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews tests positive for COVID-19
>>15994867 Video: New Covid-19 drug Molnupiravir approved in Australia, could eliminate the virus from the body in just three days, a study has shown
>>15994881 COVID antiviral drug molnupiravir eliminates actively infectious SARS-CoV-2 virus by day 3 of therapy - European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases - APRIL 1, 2022

#16040634 at 2022-04-09 05:16:18 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #22: THIS IS NOT ANOTHER 3-YEAR ELECTION Edition

Notables
are not endorsements

#21 - Part 1
Australian Politics and Society - Part 1
>>15592354 ASIO foils foreign spy plot to disrupt federal election
>>15592359 Video: ASIO foils spy plot ahead of election - Sky News Australia
>>15592385 Dating apps like Tinder and anti-COVID vaccine mandate protests drawing ASIO's attention, according to annual threat assessment
>>15592355 ASIO DIRECTOR-GENERAL'S ANNUAL THREAT ASSESSMENT 2022
>>15592406 Chinese state-affiliated hackers attack local media group
>>15592421 US Secretary of State Antony Blinken says Australia demonstrated best of humanity - His step-father arrived as a teenage refugee from Poland after the Holocaust with no education, graduated from University of Melbourne
>>15600521 Quad ministers address Indo-Pacific 'coercion', climate, COVID
>>15600547 Chinese spies in plot to install ALP candidates at coming federal election
>>15600564 'Reckless and desperate': Malcolm Turnbull savages Peter Dutton for claiming China is backing Labor
>>15600577 Australia deploys diplomatic resources to fight Chinese and Russian 'disinformation' on AUKUS submarine deal

>>15600598 Australian Manufacturing Workers' Union joins Noam Chomsky in protest of AUKUS nuclear subs deal - Anthony Albanese under pressure to distance himself from one of Australia's biggest unions as it protests the AUKUS nuclear submarine deal
>>15608332 Video: 60 Minutes' Liam Bartlett in fiery clash with Trump-backed Republican candidate Kari Lake
>>15608804 Neo-Nazi in propaganda video burning an Aboriginal flag unmasked as former Young Liberal, Stefan Eracleous
>>15615627 Australian embassy in Kyiv evacuated as Russia invasion of Ukraine feared
>>15625898 Disinformation a 'threat to poll', says AFP chief Reece Kershaw
>>15640390 West Australian ban thwarts AUKUS submarines tour - A high-level AUKUS delegation to Australia to help fast-track the nation's nuclear submarines has been forced to postpone a planned visit to Western Australia's HMAS Stirling - home of the Collins-class subs - due to the McGowan government's strict quarantine requirements
>>15640432 Australia looks to landlocked Czech Republic to win European support for contentious AUKUS submarine plan
>>15640478 Military air bases fast tracked for upgrade as Australia joins US Pacific push - Australian military bases and airstrips are to be upgraded as US forces look for more part-time homes for their combat aircraft, troops and ships
>>15648202 U.S. reassured of Australian alliance regardless of election outcome - Daniel Kritenbrink, U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for the Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs
>>15648246 British Home Secretary Priti Patel hires Australia's Alexander Downer, ex-minister for Foreign Affairs, in bid to help solve UK Border crisis

#16040610 at 2022-04-09 05:11:27 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #21: MIL-CIV ALLIANCE Edition

#21 - Part 25
Child Exploitation, Pedophilia, Sexual Abuse and Human Trafficking Investigations - Part 2
>>15916711 NSW MP Gareth Ward charged with sexual violence; Premier Dominic Perrottet seeks his resignation from parliament
>>15924222 Hillsong Church founder Brian Houston resigns after internal misconduct investigation
>>15932317 Video: Prime Minister Scott Morrison joins growing chorus of Hillsong Church allies to distance themselves from founder Brian Houston
>>15932328 PM 'shocked and disappointed' by Houston resignation, not been a Hillsong member for 15 years
>>15932331 NSW MP Gareth Ward suspended from parliament over historic sexual abuse charges after he refused to resign
>>15940215 Foreign Minister Marise Payne Statement - International Engagement Strategy on Human Trafficking and Modern Slavery - 25 March 2022 - "We have zero tolerance for those who exploit the vulnerable."
>>15940215 PDF: Australian Government International Engagement Strategy on Human Trafficking and Modern Slavery: Delivering in Partnership (2022)

>>15947677 Perth Children's Hospital nurse Peter De Mouilpied made dozens of child exploitation videos, court hears
>>15962247 Gerald Ridsdale - arguably Australia's most prolific paedophile priest - faces court on fresh charges that allege he abused two boys 40 years ago
>>15962328 Woman living with cerebral palsy tells Disability Royal Commission she was 'raped and assaulted' by carer
>>15962328 Royal Commission into Violence, Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation of People with Disability - Public hearing 17: The experience of women and girls with disability with a particular focus on family, domestic and sexual violence - 28 March 2022
>>15968645 Stewart Iain Berry and husband Mathew Campbell face SA court accused of involvement in Jadd Brooker's online pedophile ring
>>15981879 Australian Federal Police will use $142 million budget allocation to develop "specialist capability" to tackle serious crime enabled by anonymising technology - New account takeover and data disruption powers are the 'envy' of the United States, says Commissioner Reece Kershaw
>>16008504 Pedophile John Wayne Millwood disperses fortune to thwart victim of record $5.3m in civil damages
>>16022022 Paedophiles should forfeit superannuation to pay compensation, child sex abuse victim Andy Martin says

#16040599 at 2022-04-09 05:09:06 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #21: MIL-CIV ALLIANCE Edition

#21 - Part 21
Coronavirus / COVID-19 Pandemic, Australia and Worldwide
>>15600512 Australians told to get COVID boosters to be considered fully vaccinated
>>15600521 Quad ministers address Indo-Pacific 'coercion', climate, COVID
>>15608324 Video: Incredible scenes as anti-vaccine mandate protesters swarm Canberra streets - Up to 10,000 anti-vaccine protesters have taken to the streets of Canberra, with police making multiple arrests during incredible scenes near Parliament House
>>15640390 West Australian ban thwarts AUKUS submarines tour - A high-level AUKUS delegation to Australia to help fast-track the nation's nuclear submarines has been forced to postpone a planned visit to Western Australia's HMAS Stirling - home of the Collins-class subs - due to the McGowan government's strict quarantine requirements
>>15656192 Australia's biggest states ease more COVID-19 curbs ahead of border reopening
>>15656221 Video: Omicron 'clearly not' as threatening as flu, says Dr Nick Coatsworth - news.com.au
>>15656223 Video: Former deputy chief medical officer Dr Nick Coatsworth says Omicron variant is 'clearly not' as threatening as influenza - Sky News Australia
>>15664451 Australia reports 43 COVID deaths before expanded border reopening
>>15664466 Video: Victoria set to open purpose-built quarantine hub - 9 News Australia
>>15672473 Australian Federal Police Commissioner Reece Kershaw vows to ramp up enforcement action against protesters inciting violence, even if not committing it themselves
>>15680632 'Welcome back world!': Australia fully reopens borders after two years - 2 February 2022

>>15727103 Australia reports 35 more COVID-19 deaths as masks come off in eastern states - 26 February 2022
>>15743113 Video: Bill Gates praises 'Aussie response' to pandemics - cnbc.com
>>15743113 Is it possible to prevent the next pandemic? If every country does what Australia did, says Bill Gates
>>15743123 Video: Bill Gates: 'If every country does what Australia did,' the world could prevent the next pandemic
>>15761198 Prime Minister Scott Morrison tests positive to Covid-19 - 1 March 2022
>>15845764 Australia nears living with COVID like flu - PM Morrison - 12 March 2022
>>15881176 Dr Nick Coatsworth reacts to Pfizer's claim most people will need four doses of the Covid vaccine
>>15882249 Video: South Australia's Stevens, Spurrier, Marshall and their Covidian Web of Lies - South Australia In Focus
>>15932302 Moderna will produce its mRNA vaccines in Australia from 2024, with final deal signed off
>>15962087 Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews tests positive for COVID-19
>>15994867 Video: New Covid-19 drug Molnupiravir approved in Australia, could eliminate the virus from the body in just three days, a study has shown
>>15994881 COVID antiviral drug molnupiravir eliminates actively infectious SARS-CoV-2 virus by day 3 of therapy - European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases - APRIL 1, 2022

#16040538 at 2022-04-09 04:57:39 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #21: MIL-CIV ALLIANCE Edition

Notables
are not endorsements

#21 - Part 1
Australian Politics and Society - Part 1
>>15592354 ASIO foils foreign spy plot to disrupt federal election
>>15592359 Video: ASIO foils spy plot ahead of election - Sky News Australia
>>15592385 Dating apps like Tinder and anti-COVID vaccine mandate protests drawing ASIO's attention, according to annual threat assessment
>>15592355 ASIO DIRECTOR-GENERAL'S ANNUAL THREAT ASSESSMENT 2022
>>15592406 Chinese state-affiliated hackers attack local media group
>>15592421 US Secretary of State Antony Blinken says Australia demonstrated best of humanity - His step-father arrived as a teenage refugee from Poland after the Holocaust with no education, graduated from University of Melbourne
>>15600521 Quad ministers address Indo-Pacific 'coercion', climate, COVID
>>15600547 Chinese spies in plot to install ALP candidates at coming federal election
>>15600564 'Reckless and desperate': Malcolm Turnbull savages Peter Dutton for claiming China is backing Labor
>>15600577 Australia deploys diplomatic resources to fight Chinese and Russian 'disinformation' on AUKUS submarine deal

>>15600598 Australian Manufacturing Workers' Union joins Noam Chomsky in protest of AUKUS nuclear subs deal - Anthony Albanese under pressure to distance himself from one of Australia's biggest unions as it protests the AUKUS nuclear submarine deal
>>15608332 Video: 60 Minutes' Liam Bartlett in fiery clash with Trump-backed Republican candidate Kari Lake
>>15608804 Neo-Nazi in propaganda video burning an Aboriginal flag unmasked as former Young Liberal, Stefan Eracleous
>>15615627 Australian embassy in Kyiv evacuated as Russia invasion of Ukraine feared
>>15625898 Disinformation a 'threat to poll', says AFP chief Reece Kershaw
>>15640390 West Australian ban thwarts AUKUS submarines tour - A high-level AUKUS delegation to Australia to help fast-track the nation's nuclear submarines has been forced to postpone a planned visit to Western Australia's HMAS Stirling - home of the Collins-class subs - due to the McGowan government's strict quarantine requirements
>>15640432 Australia looks to landlocked Czech Republic to win European support for contentious AUKUS submarine plan
>>15640478 Military air bases fast tracked for upgrade as Australia joins US Pacific push - Australian military bases and airstrips are to be upgraded as US forces look for more part-time homes for their combat aircraft, troops and ships
>>15648202 U.S. reassured of Australian alliance regardless of election outcome - Daniel Kritenbrink, U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for the Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs
>>15648246 British Home Secretary Priti Patel hires Australia's Alexander Downer, ex-minister for Foreign Affairs, in bid to help solve UK Border crisis

#15982077 at 2022-03-31 10:47:22 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #21: MIL-CIV ALLIANCE Edition

>>15939896
Solomons-China deal 'changes calculus' for ADF: Lieutenant General Greg Bilton

BEN PACKHAM - MARCH 31, 2022

One of the Australian Defence Force's top generals has warned a Chinese naval presence in the Solomon Islands would "change the calculus" for the ADF in its air and sea operations across the region.

The ADF's Joint Operations Commander, Lieutenant General Greg Bilton, said the prospect of a Chinese base in the Solomon Islands under a looming security pact between the countries would require Australia to "change our patrolling patterns and our maritime awareness activities".

"It does change the calculus. If Chinese navy vessels are operating from the Solomon Islands, they are in much closer proximity to the Australian mainland obviously," he said.

"That would change the way we would undertake day to day operations, particularly in the air and at sea."

His comments came just days after Solomon Islands Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare declared he was ready to sign the new security agreement with China, and blasted suggestions it could lead to a Chinese base in his country as "misinformation".

It's understood Australian officials have told Solomon Islands counterparts they are less concerned with Mr Sogavare's intentions than those of Beijing, and warned the agreement could result in a gradual but irreversible increase in China's security presence in the country.

They have told the Sogavare government that the agreement would force Australia to invest more in regional security, potentially reducing the pool of development funds available for the country.

Australian officials believe lobbying by fellow Pacific Island leaders offers the best hope of convincing Mr Sogavare to hold-off on the agreement, with some warning the pact is a violation of the Pacific Islands Forum's Biketawa agreement to deal collectively with security challenges.

It's understood regional heavyweights Papua New Guinea and Fiji are sympathetic to Australia's concerns, and have undertaken to raise the matter at leader level.

Defence Minister Peter Dutton said Australia, which had long demonstrated its support for its Pacific "family", was firmly opposed to the security pact.

"We don't believe it is in the best interests of the Solomon Islands to be engaging in an exercise that could lead to a military presence in the Solomon Islands," he said.

"And frankly I think that is the view of many of the neighbours and others within the Indo-Pacific, and we have been very clear about that."

Australian Federal Police chief commissioner Reece Kershaw told Senate Estimates that the AFP would resist Chinese attempts to alter training programs for Solomon Islands police, under a separate memorandum of understanding with China on law and order support.

He said Australia had a long-term commitment to commitment to supporting the Royal Solomon Islands Police Force, which was underscored by the 2004 murder of AFP officer Adam Dunning in Honiara.

"We have lost one of our own over there, so we are not going to let other nations come in and try and change that whole framework," Mr Kershaw said.

"It works. The community crime dropped. The police force is more professional than ever before, and we want to maintain that position of being the partner of choice in the region.

"It's very difficult, it's very challenging for us. But we know that we have those relationships and rivers do run deep in this area."

Chinese police deployed to the Solomon Islands in February to help train local officers, three months after AFP and Australian Defence Force personnel mobilised there amid rioting aimed at unseating Mr Sogavare.

Mr Kershaw said the AFP had urged Solomon Islands counterparts to ensure the Chinese training was "complimentary, and doesn't ... run counter to how we have trained those specialised units".

In an address to the Solomon Islands parliament on Monday, Mr Sogavare branded the backlash against the security agreement as "insulting" because it suggested "we are unfit to manage our sovereign affairs".

""It is clear that we need to ?diversify the country's relationship with other partners, and what is wrong with that?" he said.

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/defence/solomonschina-deal-changes-calculus-for-adf-general/news-story/63145b15da0cb88f84356757de80d389

#15981879 at 2022-03-31 09:48:28 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #21: MIL-CIV ALLIANCE Edition

>>15975106
AFP gets budget backing to beef up account takeovers

Commissioner says powers are the 'envy' of the world.

Justin Hendry - Mar 31 2022

The Australian Federal Police will use a $142.2 million budget allocation to ramp up its use of controversial account takeover and data disruption powers that are the 'envy' of the United States.

Commissioner Reece Kershaw told senate estimates a portion of the new funding will allow the agency to develop "specialist capability" to tackle serious crime enabled by anonymising technology.

"The budget actually reflects that we'll be able to develop that specialist capability to be able to deploy those [Surveillance Legislation Amendment (Identify and Disrupt) Act] powers," he said on Thursday.

Kershaw said the AFP had received $142.2 million over four years in the budget to "enhance the AFP's specialist operational intelligence, collection and criminal asset confiscation capabilities".

"This investment in our capabilities will enable us to use legislation such as the Surveillance Legislation (Identify and Disrupt) Act to combat organised crime threat, both here and abroad," he said.

The legislation, which passed parliament in August 2021, grants federal police and organised crime investigator three new warrants: network activity, data disruption and account takeover.

The warrants can be used to take of a person's online account to gather evidence; add, copy, delete or alter material to disrupt criminal activity; and collect intelligence from online networks.

The Department of Home Affairs revealed the powers were being used by the AFP and the ACIC in December, with the AFP, as well as the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission, using the first few months to worth through "administrative steps".

Kershaw confirmed to the committee that the AFP had now used two of the three warrants under the Surveillance Legislation Amendment (Identify and Disrupt) Act: network activity and account takeover.

He said the AFP's use of the network activity warrant had already resulted in a visit from the Inspector-General of Intelligence and Security, which has oversight of the three warrants.

"We have had our first visit already on that because we have used those powers," Kershaw told the committee.

"That enables us to map out criminal networks and then use that intelligence to gain a better understanding of encrypted communications, for example."

Kershaw said the "hostile account takeover" warrant, meanwhile, had been "very useful" in the child protection area, where predators often refused to reveal their identity.

He described the warrant as "unique", with the US authorities expressing envy during a recent trip of his.

"Having just returned from the US and sharing those powers, they were fairly envious from a law enforcement point of view that Australia is leading the way in these areas," Kershaw said.

He said it was also clear that Australia is "well and truly ahead when it comes to targeting criminality online and also mapping criminal networks" during the recent ASEANAPOL conference.

"So, for us, the budget then backs that up with us being able to populate specialised teams, improve our technical capability," Kershaw said.

"We have to stay a step ahead and outsmart crime, which I'm pleased to stay we have been and we will."

"We have other covert operation now that are utilising these powers and already we're discovering things that we wouldn't be able to discover without these powers."

Kershaw did not indicate whether the AFP had used the data disruption warrant.

https://www.itnews.com.au/news/afp-gets-budget-backing-to-beef-up-account-takeovers-578123

#15866446 at 2022-03-15 07:39:53 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #21: MIL-CIV ALLIANCE Edition

Facebook's parent company Meta plans Australian election ramp-up as it prepares for rise in misinformation and threats against politicians

Matthew Doran - 15 March 2022

Facebook's parent company Meta will have dedicated staff monitoring violent and abusive threats hurled at Australian politicians on its platforms during this year's federal election campaign, with ongoing fears about the safety of elected representatives lingering.

The Australian Federal Police launched a review of parliamentarian security protocols late last year, as violent rhetoric at protests against COVID-19 pandemic measures raged across the country.

The AFP Commissioner told Senate Estimates in February he was expecting the number of complaints from parliamentarians for harassment, nuisance and offensive behaviour to nearly double.

"Of course, the internet etc has made that much easier to engage in," Commissioner Reece Kershaw told Parliament.

Meta, which operates social media platforms Facebook and Instagram, promised to have in-house staff monitoring commentary and discourse about the 2022 campaign, including threatening behaviour.

"Over the years, we have increased the protections that we give to public figures," Meta's Mia Garlick said.

"We have seen an increase in abusive commentary in relation to them, that's not really related to the issue of the day.

"This is certainly something that we have been trying to evolve - both our policies, but also our tool offering - to give people in public life greater protections, and obviously if there are any serious concerns we work closely with law enforcement to address that as well."

Though flagging potential violence will not be the team's sole responsibility.

"We're particularly talking about misinformation, but we'll have experts who can cover hate speech and violent organisations, and the full gamut of potential community standards violations that we might see in a really critical important time," Meta's Josh Machin said.

Meta learns from overseas elections

Meta argued the experiences of recent election campaigns around the world would help in its efforts to counter misinformation in Australia.

However, the company was careful to frame just how far it would go in calling out bogus lines trotted out on its platforms.

"Claims by political actors or by political parties are not covered by our fact-checking process, and that's because the speech of politicians is already very highly scrutinised," Mr Machin said.

"That's part of normal political debate; one party makes a claim about the other, the other one pushes back.

"Inserting ourselves as part of that process, trying to arbitrate over the truthfulness of different political sides, is not an area where we think it's appropriate for a company like us to have that particular role."

Mr Machin said Meta was funding third-party fact-checkers, including the Australian Associated Press and RMIT's Fact Lab, who could decide to further investigate such comments.

People wanting to post political advertising on the platforms would have to prove they are actually in Australia, and extra tools would be given to people like political candidates to protect their accounts from hacking.

The company is also planning to translate its own election material into Chinese, Vietnamese and Arabic, which it argued would cover the largest non-English speaking communities in Australia.

"We are conscious of some research, particularly in relation to misinformation in the Chinese language-speaking diaspora," Mr Machin said.

While noting the bulk of misinformation, according to researchers, was likely to be on Chinese-owned tech platforms such as WeChat, he said it was still an important space for Meta to be working in.

"We're helping equip the Australian community with media literacy skills that can cover misinformation wherever they encounter that - whether that's online, if it's potentially on our services, or potentially on other online services, but also offline.

"And we know misinformation can be spread in conversations with family and friends."

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-03-15/facebook-meta-prepares-for-election-violence-misinformation/100909196

#15751413 at 2022-03-01 08:37:07 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #21: MIL-CIV ALLIANCE Edition

United States Federal Law Enforcement Training Centers Signs Memorandum of Understanding with Australian Federal Police

February 28, 2022

On February 23, 2022, Thomas J. Walters, Director of the Federal Law Enforcement Training Centers (FLETC), and Reece Kershaw, Commissioner of Australian Federal Police (AFP), signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to collaborate as training partners in professional exchanges. FLETC and AFP will mutually benefit from knowledge-based sharing, exchanging best practices, consortiums, symposiums, joint projects, research and development, and staff exchanges to advance law enforcement and leadership training.

"FLETC's relationship with Australia has been long and fruitful. Today, we formalize our relationship with the Australian Federal Police and commit to ensuring that our agencies benefit from our institutional knowledge and mutual achievements," said FLETC Director Walters. "This MOU will positively impact future innovation and growth affecting safety and security."

"This MOU is a demonstration of the value we place on our relationship with the Federal Law Enforcement Training Centers," said AFP Commissioner Kershaw. "It formalizes our agencies' commitment to continue to work collaboratively and exchange ideas on innovation and technologies, ultimately making our communities and the people we serve even safer."

FLETC offers fully reimbursable training programs to law enforcement partners worldwide by working through respective United States Embassies to coordinate participation. Australia has sent officers to FLETC training to include in-person and online training courses throughout the years.

A component of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, FLETC provides career-long training to law enforcement professionals to help them fulfill their responsibilities safely and proficiently. Through strategic partnerships, FLETC prepares the federal law enforcement community to safeguard the American people, property, and institutions.

https://www.fletc.gov/fletc-signs-memorandum-understanding-australian-federal-police

#15697886 at 2022-02-23 07:34:31 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #21: MIL-CIV ALLIANCE Edition

Fascist flags, QAnon and extremist ties: the many faces of 'freedom' protesters

Andrew Leigh MP - 23 February 2022

Over recent weeks, far-right anti-vax protests have cropped up in Canada, Britain, France and New Zealand. But never have these protests come to a city with a higher vaccination rate than Canberra, where unvaccinated adults are as rare as UFO sightings.

They have a right to peacefully protest, but those of us who believe in science also have a right to point out that vaccines save lives and conspiracy theories can kill. Since the Morrison Government belatedly began rolling out COVID vaccines in Australia, these free vaccines have protected thousands of Australians from hospitalisation and death. COVID vaccines work. Ivermectin, hydroxychloroquine and Vitamin C do not.

The anti-vax protesters aren't just wrong about the science; they're also a risk to democracy. As media commentator Van Badham has pointed out, these groups should be judged not by their relatively small numbers but by the damage they're willing to do. Ironically, the people who claim to be saving democracy are its biggest threat.

The violent anti-lockdown protests in Melbourne, the attack on the US Capitol on 6 January last year and the global so-called freedom protests have brought together a dangerous brew of conspiracy theories. Today, 15 per cent of Americans agree with the central false tenet of QAnon: that the government and other entities are controlled by Satan-worshipping paedophiles running a child sex trafficking ring.

The Melbourne anti-lockdown protesters have waved swastikas and nooses and welcomed anti-Semites. Some of the Canberra protesters waved Usta?e fascist flags and Confederate flags. According to Australian Federal Police commissioner Reece Kershaw, one protestor was arrested with a loaded gun and an internal map of Parliament House.

The Canberra protests attracted support from senators Pauline Hanson, Alex Antic and Gerard Rennick. Like Greens Senator Lidia Thorpe, with her support for those who vandalised the Museum of Australian Democracy, these extreme senators seem not to realise they're playing with fire.

The protesters didn't seem to care who they were hurting. When the vandalism of fences at Exhibition Park forced the closure of the Lifeline Bookfair, they shut down a charity event that helps people with mental health challenges. (Sidenote: if you haven't yet made a donation to Lifeline, they could still really use your support.)

Many Canberrans turned the other cheek, putting up with abuse in the streets and shops. At BentSpoke in Braddon, Richard Watkins and his staff behaved with calm decency when a protester threw a glass at the bar.

The Australian Federal Police moved the protestors on from the National Library lawns with minimal conflict and then did the same again at Exhibition Park a few days later.

The protestors wrapped themselves in multiple flags, but the one that struck me most was their attempt to co-opt the Eureka legend.

In one sense, there's nothing new in this. Barely had the shooting stopped in 1854 when the battle of the Eureka Stockade became the battle for the Eureka Stockade - a battle for its history, meaning and legacy. As Geoffrey Blainey once put it, Eureka is a "great neon sign with messages that flick on and off, with different messages for different people on different occasions".

But the Eureka legend is too big to be co-opted by extremists. Mark Twain called it "the finest thing in Australian history". Ben Chifley believed "Eureka was the first real affirmation of our determination to become masters of our own political destiny".

HV 'Doc' Evatt said, "Australian democracy was born at Eureka". Gough Whitlam thought that it would "stir the imagination of the Australian people". Robert Menzies and John Howard also acknowledged the role that Eureka played in our democracy.

Yes, Eureka was a tax revolt, but it was also about democracy, multiculturalism, egalitarianism, mateship and the fair go. Eureka inspired the women's suffrage movement and the republican movement.

It is fitting that our first female Prime Minister was the member for Lalor - the electorate named after the Eureka leader, Peter Lalor. As Clare Wright, Peter FitzSimons, David Headon, John Uhr, John Molony and others have made clear, Eureka is a big national story - a story for everyone, not just the extremists.

Andrew Leigh is the Federal Member for Fenner. He will be in conversation with Van Badham about her book QAnon and On: A Short and Shocking History of Internet Conspiracy Cults at the ANU on Monday (28 February).

https://the-riotact.com/fascist-flags-qanon-and-extremist-ties-the-many-faces-of-freedom-protesters/535228

#15672473 at 2022-02-20 08:50:14 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #21: MIL-CIV ALLIANCE Edition

Australian police cracking down on protesters who try to incite violence

STEPHEN RICE - FEBRUARY 20, 2022

Protest leaders who have called for the execution of politicians and other public officials will be targeted for prosecution as federal and state police forces change tactics and crack down on incitements to violence, in a bid to avert a feared "lone wolf" terror attack.

Police are expected to charge high-profile leaders of the "freedom" movement with incitement to commit offences of violence and deprivation of liberty, following explicit death threats to MPs, state premiers and other officials.

In one recent case, a prominent leader of the Convoy to Canberra protests publicly called for Foreign Minister Marise Payne to be hanged by a wire cable.

In Western Australia, police have already charged a leader of the so-called Sovereign Citizen movement who threatened Premier Mark McGowan, under rarely used incitement provisions.

Counter-terrorism authorities have been reluctant to use incitement laws for fear of provoking further violence from extremists but now believe that risk is outweighed by the threat of an attack by an unbalanced individual spurred on by others.

ASIO boss Mike Burgess last week warned that the greatest ?security threat facing the nation was from conspiracy theory ?extremists and anti-government "sovereign citizens" who did not fit on the traditional left-right spectrum.

Australian Federal Police Commissioner Reece Kershaw last week vowed to ramp up enforcement action against those inciting violence, even if not committing it themselves.

"Where disinformation reaches a criminal threshold - particularly where it urges or advocates violence - the AFP will be exercising the full force of its powers," he said. Mr Kershaw told a parliamentary inquiry the AFP was very concerned about the risks to MPs and their staff, noting the murder of British MP Sir David Amess four months ago.

Risk assessments for MPs would be "a growth part of our business", he said, pointing to more than 20 arrests at the Canberra protests, including that of a Sovereign Citizen leader found with what police allege was a loaded sawn-off rifle and plans of Parliament House in his truck.

Sovereign Citizens believe they - not politicians, judges or police - should decide which laws to obey and which to ignore.

Among those being monitored is an ex-SAS officer, Riccardo Bosi, who has figured prominently in the Convoy to Canberra ?protests, often dressed in military fatigues.

Mr Bosi, who leads the unregistered AustraliaOne Party and has more than 40,000 followers on Telegram, has called several times for politicians and others to be charged with treason and hanged.

In one recent video, he made vile remarks about Senator Payne.

"That bloated cow ... if we hang her ... we're going to have to get an arrestor cable off an aircraft ?carrier to suspend the weight," he said.

Mr Bosi has openly called for the execution of media figures ranging from Sky's Peta Credlin and Andrew Bolt to the ABC's Ita Buttrose for their alleged roles in protecting pedophiles.

"Watch them hang by their necks till they're dead ... we'll draw a lottery to see who gets to pull the lever," he said in one obscenity-filled rant.

State Security Investigation Group officers in Western Australia last week charged Sovereign Citizen and former policeman Wayne Glew after he allegedly posted videos inciting others to ?arrest government ministers including Mr McGowan.

The videos also allegedly threatened those who "guard" Mr McGowan.

Two other people have been charged with impersonating commonwealth public officials after they allegedly sent "arrest warrants" to government ministers.

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/australian-police-cracking-down-on-protesters-who-try-to-incite-violence/news-story/0f3daeacbcb9917ade7aadfafc63acb0

#15656320 at 2022-02-18 10:44:02 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #21: MIL-CIV ALLIANCE Edition

>>15656316

2/2

The mystery LRAD

The organiser went on: "At this event they used the LRAD in conjunction with aerosols and radiation poisoning. These bastards sprayed us, fried us and hit us with the LRAD. This government has gone completely rogue and is literally waging war on our people."

The LRAD became a point of contention in the parliament later in the week when senators Michael Roberts (PHON QLD) and Alex Antic (Liberal SA) put questions to the Commissioner of the AFP, Reece Kershaw which he took on notice.

An LRAD - a long range audio device can be deployed as a crowd control device. At one end of the scale, it can be used as a public address system which it plainly was on Saturday with police making announcements advising protesters not to cross barricades and enter the parliament forecourt. At the other end of the scale an LRAD can emit sounds at 160 decibels. 130 decibels equate to sound emitted by artillery fire at close range and is deemed a threshold of human tolerance.

Put simply, if LRAD had been deployed at the sharp end of its use as a crowd control device, protesters would have experienced sharp pain, disorientation, burst ear drums, tinnitus. They would have known it and we would have seen it.

In answer to a question put by Senator Antic, Kershaw replied, "Overall, the crowd was well behaved. You probably saw there were children and families who were involved. Pretty well behaved. A lot of poor attitudes though but there's no offence for that. Police did cop a fair bit of abuse but again it didn't cross into the criminal threshold."

That speaks of the basic human decency I mentioned earlier. But there were elements in that crowd and some who took the stage who have and continue to agitate for violence.

Disappearing donations

One of the big stories to emerge from the Canberra rally was that some $200,000 in donations had disappeared. Protesters at the main camp were told "the money's gone." Buckets seeking cash donations hung prominently around the camp site had disappeared, too. Fingers were pointed in all directions. One hinted the money had been confiscated by ASIO, a blatant nonsense. The influencers drip paranoia so who knows how much has been trousered, if any, or by whom.

The more significant issue is that people continue to throw money at the various organisers, down to their last dollar. Ultimately, that's why the cultists have to keep members on the hook. As with all cults, this one runs on money. It is all about the grift.

Now various influencers in the protest movement are creating online dating services, because partners have walked away, families have disengaged. I mean, who wants to sit down for a family meal and be told over and over that the world is run by a cabal of bloodsucking paedophiles?

One group is offering telephone psychological counselling. They say they don't trust Lifeline and are setting up duplicate services that includes suicide prevention. What training has been or will be offered to telephone counsellors is anyone's guess but the effect is to keep everyone in the tent. Locked in. No external influences. Keep the money rolling in.

What happens when the money runs out?

There are many people who attended the Canberra rally who retain a strong and healthy sense of self-awareness. I noticed some people commenting in social media describing how they had tested positive to RATs after they returned home. But others never will, preferring the nonsense that they have been poisoned by the state. And of those, many haven't returned home and are living in makeshift camps around the capital.

These cultish elements will ultimately exhaust. The effectiveness of indoctrination has a use-by-date. The propaganda will be scrutinised, the money will run out, the self-aware will walk away, numbers will dwindle.

Peter Hoysted is Jack the Insider: a highly placed, dedicated servant of the nation with close ties to leading figures in politics, business and the union movement.

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/commentary/why-the-freedom-movement-resembles-a-cult/news-story/040a599a77df205eeffea89b87c66941

#15625898 at 2022-02-14 17:50:49 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #21: MIL-CIV ALLIANCE Edition

>>15592354
Disinformation a 'threat to poll', says AFP chief Reece Kershaw

CAMERON STEWART - FEBRUARY 14, 2022

The growing number of disinformation campaigns now poses a direct threat to the integrity of the forthcoming federal election, the head of the Australian Federal Police has warned.

AFP Commissioner Reece Kershaw has also warned of an increase in espionage and foreign interference threats, saying the challenge is expected to get worse in the year ahead.

In his opening remarks to Senate Estimates on Monday night, Mr Kershaw pledged that the AFP would exercise its full powers to crack down on disinformation during the coming election campaign.

"In the lead-up to this year's election, I am concerned about the prevalence of disinformation and the impact this can have on the integrity of our institutions and the election itself," Mr Kershaw said. "Where disinformation reaches a criminal threshold, particularly where it urges or ?advocates violence, the AFP will be exercising the full force of its powers."

Mr Kershaw did not describe the types of disinformation campaigns that the agency was most concerned about.

However, his warning comes amid a growing prevalence of online campaigns containing disinformation promoted by various interest groups, including anti-vaxxer and anti-vax-mandate protesters. Other disinformation campaigns have spread false rumours about state and federal politicians designed to undermine their chances of re-election.

"For example we charged an individual with computer, carriage service and electoral offences for his role in an offensive spam email campaign" during the 2019 Wentworth and 2020 Eden-Monaro by-elections, he said.

Mr Kershaw also warned of the growing prevalence of espionage and foreign interference. His comments follow warnings last week by ASIO director-general Mike Burgess that foreign powers were trying to meddle in the election and that espionage and foreign interference had now surpassed terrorism for the first time as the agency's prime concern.

"The AFP is aware of increased espionage and foreign interference threats," Mr Kershaw told Estimates.

"Most Australians won't see foreign interference or be targeted by foreign interference. But it has the potential to affect every Australian because it erodes our democracy and our institutions."

He said the multi-agency Counter Foreign Interference Taskforce had achieved "a number of successful disruptions".

Without naming China, he said the types of interference included attempts to monitor and harass those in Australia who were viewed as dissidents by authoritarian states. "It may also ?involve attempts to silence members of the community from criticising the policies of regimes in countries to which they maintain links," he said.

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/politics/disinformation-a-threat-to-poll-says-afp-chief-Reece-Kershaw/news-story/01a37b01d7d84c4714cb25f094be93af

#15592279 at 2022-02-10 08:48:32 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #21: MIL-CIV ALLIANCE Edition

#20 - Part 18
Child Exploitation, Pedophilia, Sexual Abuse and Human Trafficking Investigations - Part 1
>>15175356 'Arrogant' pedophile priest Anthony William Peter Caruana jailed for 15 years
>>15175357 Tasmanian health department put interests of alleged pedophile James Griffin ahead of victims, Ombudsman says
>>15175359 Global child abuse ring member Bret Anthony Chesworth jailed for crimes of the 'worst kind'
>>15175522 Pervert Josh Duggar tried to get off on gruesome 'hurtcore' video Daisy's Destruction, 'the worst of the worst' in international child porn that shows cruel torture and beatings of 18-month-old girl - The infamous video is the work of Australian predator Peter Scully
>>15175533 (2016) Video: Death penalty call for accused Australian child sex predator Peter Scully in Philippines
>>15185201 AFP warns online child sex offenders are offering Australian children vouchers and cash for naked images
>>15190229 Prosecutors launch bid to have Australia's worst-ever child sex predator, Jadd William Brooker, jailed indefinitely for his crimes
>>15190412 Former footy star Brett Finch facing charges relating to child abuse material - Former NRL grand final winner charged with commenting on child abuse material, one of eight arrested by detectives

>>15217613 AJ Coutts, victim of paedophile Martin Cooper at Perth children's home Warminda Hostel, receives $1 million settlement
>>15234468 Tasmanian child abuse survivor awarded record $5.3 million payout after suing abuser John Millwood
>>15235880 Australian Federal Police warn of human trafficking surge as border restrictions ease
>>15235880 Australian Federal Police Human Trafficking website - Information on human trafficking and the signs to look for
>>15251521 Australian Federal Police Tweet: During his recent visit to the United States, Australian Federal Police Commissioner Reece Kershaw presented @FBI Director Christopher Wray with the AFP Partnership Medal. The medal is in recognition of the close working relationship between the AFP and the FBI.
>>15265942 Judge rules Catholic Church vicariously liable for Ballarat paedophile priest Bryan Coffey's abuse 50 years ago
>>15270892 Video: Police warn of increase in human trafficking, sex slaves, forced marriages as borders open
>>15325369 Child sex trafficking endures in Bali despite collapse of international tourism - Trade fueled by foreign pedophile rings and lone predators - none more infamous than Robert Fiddel Ellis, a 72-year-old Australian who was convicted in 2016 of sexually abusing 30 girls, one as young as 10.

#15592244 at 2022-02-10 08:41:03 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #21: MIL-CIV ALLIANCE Edition

#20 - Part 2
Australian Politics and Society - Part 2
>>15243071 US to put nuclear submarines on fast track - Defence Minister Peter Dutton reveals Australia is set to get its first nuclear submarine at least five years ahead of schedule after Washington agrees to help fast-track the project
>>15247159 Free-trade deal to speed exports to India - Australian wine, coal and grain producers targeted by Chinese sanctions are on track to have greater access to Indian markets from next year
>>15251521 Australian Federal Police Tweet: During his recent visit to the United States, Australian Federal Police Commissioner Reece Kershaw presented @FBI Director Christopher Wray with the AFP Partnership Medal. The medal is in recognition of the close working relationship between the AFP and the FBI.
>>15264936 Barnaby Joyce questions future of US's global mission
>>15264954 JFK's legacy is strong, but Americans are wary - Barnaby Joyce, Deputy Prime Minister and leader of the Nationals - theaustralian.com.au
>>15306365 Japan and Australia to sign landmark defence agreement, upgrading military co-operation, joint exercises and military deployments - The Reciprocal Access Agreement
>>15312135 Joint air operations to flow from 'historic' defence pact between Australia and Japan
>>15312136 Japanese Ambassador YAMAGAMI Shingo Tweet: PM Kishida @JPN_PMO and PM Morrison @ScottMorrisonMP to meet virtually tomorrow and sign the Reciprocal Access Agreement (RAA), a landmark defence agreement between (Japan) & (Australia). PM Kishida said "I embark upon summit diplomacy in earnest" in 2022. This starts here.
>>15312266 Imam of Peace Tweet: My friends, Happy New Year, May the Almighty grant you whatever is in your hearts, and may you have a safe, blessed and meaningful 2022. Thank you for your warm messages and comments during my absence. As you well know, there's a silence before every storm. Notifications on!
>>15325248 Australia and Japan sign security pact to respond to 'challenging' Indo-Pacific environment

>>15325267 Japanese Ambassador YAMAGAMI Shingo Tweet: PM Kishida @JPN_PMO and PM Morrison @ScottMorrisonMP have signed the RAA during their virtual summit, increasing deterrence in the Indo-Pacific. (Japan) & (Australia) will strengthen its cooperation as vanguards of the rules-based order in the region.
>>15325267 Japanese Ambassador YAMAGAMI Shingo Tweet: PM Morrison @ScottMorrisonMP, your leadership and dedication were the No.1 driving force behind the RAA, ushering in a new chapter for (Japan and Australia) Special Strategic Partnership.
>>15325478 The oldest living American veteran of World War II, Lawrence Brooks, dies at 112 - Served with the largely African American 91st Engineer Battalion, stationed in Australia, New Guinea and the Philippines
>>15342236 Opinion: New agreement with Japan a historic step for Australia in South-East Asia - Christopher Pyne - adelaidenow.com.au
>>15342288 Australia commits to $3.5 billion tank purchase from the US
>>15348724 US needs to step up more for Pacific allies: White House Indo-Pacific Coordinator Kurt Campbell
>>15380490 Video: Tsunami warning issued for parts of NSW, Victoria, Queensland and Tasmania following the eruption of an underwater volcano
>>15385203 Video: An underwater volcano off Tonga has erupted, triggering a tsunami warning for parts of Australia's east coast
>>15385210 Video: Tsunami warnings are in place across the Pacific after an underwater volcano eruption caused tidal waves to hit Tonga.
>>15385218 Video: Analysis: Tsunami warnings issued amid underwater volcano eruption

#15592218 at 2022-02-10 08:32:59 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #20 - INSURGENCY Edition

#20 - Part 18
Child Exploitation, Pedophilia, Sexual Abuse and Human Trafficking Investigations - Part 1
>>15175356 'Arrogant' pedophile priest Anthony William Peter Caruana jailed for 15 years
>>15175357 Tasmanian health department put interests of alleged pedophile James Griffin ahead of victims, Ombudsman says
>>15175359 Global child abuse ring member Bret Anthony Chesworth jailed for crimes of the 'worst kind'
>>15175522 Pervert Josh Duggar tried to get off on gruesome 'hurtcore' video Daisy's Destruction, 'the worst of the worst' in international child porn that shows cruel torture and beatings of 18-month-old girl - The infamous video is the work of Australian predator Peter Scully
>>15175533 (2016) Video: Death penalty call for accused Australian child sex predator Peter Scully in Philippines
>>15185201 AFP warns online child sex offenders are offering Australian children vouchers and cash for naked images
>>15190229 Prosecutors launch bid to have Australia's worst-ever child sex predator, Jadd William Brooker, jailed indefinitely for his crimes
>>15190412 Former footy star Brett Finch facing charges relating to child abuse material - Former NRL grand final winner charged with commenting on child abuse material, one of eight arrested by detectives

>>15217613 AJ Coutts, victim of paedophile Martin Cooper at Perth children's home Warminda Hostel, receives $1 million settlement
>>15234468 Tasmanian child abuse survivor awarded record $5.3 million payout after suing abuser John Millwood
>>15235880 Australian Federal Police warn of human trafficking surge as border restrictions ease
>>15235880 Australian Federal Police Human Trafficking website - Information on human trafficking and the signs to look for
>>15251521 Australian Federal Police Tweet: During his recent visit to the United States, Australian Federal Police Commissioner Reece Kershaw presented @FBI Director Christopher Wray with the AFP Partnership Medal. The medal is in recognition of the close working relationship between the AFP and the FBI.
>>15265942 Judge rules Catholic Church vicariously liable for Ballarat paedophile priest Bryan Coffey's abuse 50 years ago
>>15270892 Video: Police warn of increase in human trafficking, sex slaves, forced marriages as borders open
>>15325369 Child sex trafficking endures in Bali despite collapse of international tourism - Trade fueled by foreign pedophile rings and lone predators - none more infamous than Robert Fiddel Ellis, a 72-year-old Australian who was convicted in 2016 of sexually abusing 30 girls, one as young as 10.

#15592175 at 2022-02-10 08:20:30 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #20 - INSURGENCY Edition

#20 - Part 2
Australian Politics and Society - Part 2
>>15243071 US to put nuclear submarines on fast track - Defence Minister Peter Dutton reveals Australia is set to get its first nuclear submarine at least five years ahead of schedule after Washington agrees to help fast-track the project
>>15247159 Free-trade deal to speed exports to India - Australian wine, coal and grain producers targeted by Chinese sanctions are on track to have greater access to Indian markets from next year
>>15251521 Australian Federal Police Tweet: During his recent visit to the United States, Australian Federal Police Commissioner Reece Kershaw presented @FBI Director Christopher Wray with the AFP Partnership Medal. The medal is in recognition of the close working relationship between the AFP and the FBI.
>>15264936 Barnaby Joyce questions future of US's global mission
>>15264954 JFK's legacy is strong, but Americans are wary - Barnaby Joyce, Deputy Prime Minister and leader of the Nationals - theaustralian.com.au
>>15306365 Japan and Australia to sign landmark defence agreement, upgrading military co-operation, joint exercises and military deployments - The Reciprocal Access Agreement
>>15312135 Joint air operations to flow from 'historic' defence pact between Australia and Japan
>>15312136 Japanese Ambassador YAMAGAMI Shingo Tweet: PM Kishida @JPN_PMO and PM Morrison @ScottMorrisonMP to meet virtually tomorrow and sign the Reciprocal Access Agreement (RAA), a landmark defence agreement between (Japan) & (Australia). PM Kishida said "I embark upon summit diplomacy in earnest" in 2022. This starts here.
>>15312266 Imam of Peace Tweet: My friends, Happy New Year, May the Almighty grant you whatever is in your hearts, and may you have a safe, blessed and meaningful 2022. Thank you for your warm messages and comments during my absence. As you well know, there's a silence before every storm. Notifications on!
>>15325248 Australia and Japan sign security pact to respond to 'challenging' Indo-Pacific environment

>>15325267 Japanese Ambassador YAMAGAMI Shingo Tweet: PM Kishida @JPN_PMO and PM Morrison @ScottMorrisonMP have signed the RAA during their virtual summit, increasing deterrence in the Indo-Pacific. (Japan) & (Australia) will strengthen its cooperation as vanguards of the rules-based order in the region.
>>15325267 Japanese Ambassador YAMAGAMI Shingo Tweet: PM Morrison @ScottMorrisonMP, your leadership and dedication were the No.1 driving force behind the RAA, ushering in a new chapter for (Japan and Australia) Special Strategic Partnership.
>>15325478 The oldest living American veteran of World War II, Lawrence Brooks, dies at 112 - Served with the largely African American 91st Engineer Battalion, stationed in Australia, New Guinea and the Philippines
>>15342236 Opinion: New agreement with Japan a historic step for Australia in South-East Asia - Christopher Pyne - adelaidenow.com.au
>>15342288 Australia commits to $3.5 billion tank purchase from the US
>>15348724 US needs to step up more for Pacific allies: White House Indo-Pacific Coordinator Kurt Campbell
>>15380490 Video: Tsunami warning issued for parts of NSW, Victoria, Queensland and Tasmania following the eruption of an underwater volcano
>>15385203 Video: An underwater volcano off Tonga has erupted, triggering a tsunami warning for parts of Australia's east coast
>>15385210 Video: Tsunami warnings are in place across the Pacific after an underwater volcano eruption caused tidal waves to hit Tonga.
>>15385218 Video: Analysis: Tsunami warnings issued amid underwater volcano eruption

#15251521 at 2021-12-25 09:03:33 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #20 - INSURGENCY Edition

Australian Federal Police Tweet

During his recent visit to the United States, Australian Federal Police Commissioner Reece Kershaw presented @FBI Director Christopher Wray with the AFP Partnership Medal.

The medal is in recognition of the close working relationship between the AFP and the FBI.

https://twitter.com/AusFedPolice/status/1474203335477510147

#15175274 at 2021-12-11 09:49:33 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #20 - INSURGENCY Edition

#19 - Part 2
Australian Politics and Society - Part 2
>>14838499 Britain will press its case to build Australia's promised nuclear-powered submarines during an upcoming visit by a British Astute-class nuclear submarine to Perth
>>14852955 AFP in talks with the Five Eyes alliance about how it can implement a new cyber offensive operation - looking to be 'more aggressive' with new cyber offensive arm
>>14852961 Terrorist recruiters are grooming vulnerable children to carry out violent attacks - AFP Commissioner Reece Kershaw
>>14859189 Australia adopts target of net zero emissions by 2050 but won't legislate goal
>>14859344 AUKUS is the most significant step of our time, says Defence Minister Peter Dutton
>>14859398 New Zealand could join AUKUS security pact to boost cyber technologies - New Zealand High Commissioner to Australia, Dame Annette King
>>14865592 Agencies 'hunting every night' with offensive cyber capabilities - Australia's spy agency is "going hunting" for ransomware gangs "every night", according to Home Affairs secretary Mike Pezzullo
>>14865600 Department of Defence Tweet: Congratulations! #YourADF has recognised two @USMC officers for their commitment to combined training between the @MRFDarwin and Australian forces.
>>14865600 United States Marines rewarded for commitment to combined training between the Marine Rotational Force - Darwin (MRF-D) and Australian forces: Commanding Officer MRF-D Colonel David M Banning and Operations Officer Lieutenant Colonel Amy Roznowski presented with Gold ADF Commendations
>>14871072 Opposition slams Morrison government for 'discriminatory' voter integrity bill - Government accused of using tactics 'straight out of Trump's America' to block Australians from voting in the next election

>>14872905 Scott Morrison speaks to Emmanuel Macron for the first time since AUKUS was announced
>>14880897 AUKUS submarine deal with Australia was 'clumsy', US President Biden tells French President Macron
>>14880936 Defence Minister Peter Dutton Tweet: Today we welcomed to Perth a @royalnavy Astute Class nuclear powered submarine. Her visit comes six weeks after we announced the #AUKUS partnership with the UK & US. It was a pleasure to meet the crew, I wish them well on their break.
>>14891631 Scott Morrison contradicts Biden's comments on whether French were informed about Aukus
>>14897817 'I don't think, I know': Emmanuel Macron accuses Scott Morrison of lying over submarine deal
>>14902191 Video: Scott Morrison sinks Emmanuel Macron's subs contract 'lie' - Sky News Australia
>>14902300 Handling of the sub deal was "clumsy" - How Joe Biden threw Scott Morrison under the bus
>>14903798 Narendra Modi Tweet: Never a dull moment when you are meeting the one and only @ScottMorrisonMP.
>>14903798 Prime Minister Scott Morrison Tweet: Wonderful to see my good friend @narendramodi.
>>14912738 Video: French ambassador says leaking of text messages between Scott Morrison and Emmanuel Macron 'unprecedented new low'

#15175244 at 2021-12-11 09:26:33 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #19 - THE ONLY WAY IS THE MILITARY Edition

#19 - Part 2
Australian Politics and Society - Part 2
>>14838499 Britain will press its case to build Australia's promised nuclear-powered submarines during an upcoming visit by a British Astute-class nuclear submarine to Perth
>>14852955 AFP in talks with the Five Eyes alliance about how it can implement a new cyber offensive operation - looking to be 'more aggressive' with new cyber offensive arm
>>14852961 Terrorist recruiters are grooming vulnerable children to carry out violent attacks - AFP Commissioner Reece Kershaw
>>14859189 Australia adopts target of net zero emissions by 2050 but won't legislate goal
>>14859344 AUKUS is the most significant step of our time, says Defence Minister Peter Dutton
>>14859398 New Zealand could join AUKUS security pact to boost cyber technologies - New Zealand High Commissioner to Australia, Dame Annette King
>>14865592 Agencies 'hunting every night' with offensive cyber capabilities - Australia's spy agency is "going hunting" for ransomware gangs "every night", according to Home Affairs secretary Mike Pezzullo
>>14865600 Department of Defence Tweet: Congratulations! #YourADF has recognised two @USMC officers for their commitment to combined training between the @MRFDarwin and Australian forces.
>>14865600 United States Marines rewarded for commitment to combined training between the Marine Rotational Force - Darwin (MRF-D) and Australian forces: Commanding Officer MRF-D Colonel David M Banning and Operations Officer Lieutenant Colonel Amy Roznowski presented with Gold ADF Commendations
>>14871072 Opposition slams Morrison government for 'discriminatory' voter integrity bill - Government accused of using tactics 'straight out of Trump's America' to block Australians from voting in the next election

>>14872905 Scott Morrison speaks to Emmanuel Macron for the first time since AUKUS was announced
>>14880897 AUKUS submarine deal with Australia was 'clumsy', US President Biden tells French President Macron
>>14880936 Defence Minister Peter Dutton Tweet: Today we welcomed to Perth a @royalnavy Astute Class nuclear powered submarine. Her visit comes six weeks after we announced the #AUKUS partnership with the UK & US. It was a pleasure to meet the crew, I wish them well on their break.
>>14891631 Scott Morrison contradicts Biden's comments on whether French were informed about Aukus
>>14897817 'I don't think, I know': Emmanuel Macron accuses Scott Morrison of lying over submarine deal
>>14902191 Video: Scott Morrison sinks Emmanuel Macron's subs contract 'lie' - Sky News Australia
>>14902300 Handling of the sub deal was "clumsy" - How Joe Biden threw Scott Morrison under the bus
>>14903798 Narendra Modi Tweet: Never a dull moment when you are meeting the one and only @ScottMorrisonMP.
>>14903798 Prime Minister Scott Morrison Tweet: Wonderful to see my good friend @narendramodi.
>>14912738 Video: French ambassador says leaking of text messages between Scott Morrison and Emmanuel Macron 'unprecedented new low'

#15054317 at 2021-11-22 06:39:51 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #19 - THE ONLY WAY IS THE MILITARY Edition

'Operation Phobetor' - New taskforce to disrupt organised crime

Andrew Brown - NOVEMBER 22 2021

Organised criminals in Australia will be targeted by a new major taskforce that will bring together federal and state police.

The new Operation Phobetor will see the Australian Federal Police, NSW Police and the Australian Crime Intelligence Commission work together as part of a multi-agency taskforce.

The name of the task force comes from the Greek god of nightmares, who is described in Ovid's Metamorphoses.

The new taskforce comes in the wake of Operation Ironside, which led to the arrest of more than 300 organised criminals and the seizure of $50 million in assets in an international sting operation alongside the US FBI.

Home Affairs Minister Karen Andrews said Operation Phobetor would seek out organised crimes groups such as bikie gangs and drug cartels.

"We want to make sure that we are creating an enormous dilemma, in fact, a nightmare … for all of the serious organised criminals," Ms Andrew told ABC TV.

"We want to make sure that Australians are safe, that the Australian Federal Police, the Morrison government, NSW police, have their backs."

Ms Andrews said Australian law enforcement agencies had learnt a lot from Operation Ironside and would put that to use in the new taskforce.

"We've actually increased funding to $1.7 billion for the Australian Federal Police and making sure the AFP are very well equipped," she said.

"We will be using the very best technology to go after the criminals."

While the agencies have collaborated with each other in the past, the creation of the new operation will allow for information to be shared more easily.

AFP commissioner Reece Kershaw said the new taskforce would be a critical step forward for the agency.

"Operation Phobetor, which will access the AFP's unmatched global reach and extraordinary technical capability, underscores just how hard and dangerous it is for syndicates to target Australia," Commissioner Kershaw said.

https://www.canberratimes.com.au/story/7519641/new-taskforce-to-disrupt-organised-crime/

https://www.9news.com.au/videos/national/new-police-taskforce-dubbed-australias-fbi/ckwa7ejuq00000hp6p3n36how

#14852961 at 2021-10-25 07:16:13 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #19 - THE ONLY WAY IS THE MILITARY Edition

>>14852955
Terrorist recruiters are grooming vulnerable children to carry out violent attacks

BEN PACKHAM - OCTOBER 25, 2021

Terrorist groups are grooming children, including those with learning difficulties and developmental conditions, to carry out violent attacks.

AFP Commissioner Reece Kershaw said the alarming new trend had emerged under the cover of the pandemic, and urged parents to find out who their children were engaging with online.'

"Children as young as 13 years old - not even old enough to get their learners' driver's licence - are planning and negotiating with others online to carry out catastrophic terror attacks," Mr Kershaw told Senate estimates.

"Some of these youth feel isolated or do not feel like they belong, and so they retreat to the online world, looking to connect with someone, including (religiously-motivated violent extremist) and (ideologically-motivated violent extremist) individuals.

"Research on how vulnerable children - including those with learning difficulties or developmental conditions - are being recruited is underway now."

He said the AFP was dedicated to preventing vulnerable people from becoming radicalised, but parents also needed to play a role.

"We need parents and carers to understand who their children are communicating with online. I implore parents to call the AFP if they are worried their child is being targeted by individuals with extremist views," Mr Kershaw said.

"Early intervention can divert children from this path. Where possible, we want to keep youth out of the criminal justice system."

He said the terrorism threat level remained at probable but "there have been some significant shifts in the diversity and complexity" of the problem during the pandemic.

"The threat of terrorism has not dissipated. In fact, the pandemic, extended lockdowns and more time spent online, has in some cases, made it easier for extremists to recruit," he said.

"Across the world, including in Australia, we have individuals who are now pre-loaded with extremist ideology, and the end of restrictions on movement will make it harder for law enforcement."

Religiously-motivated violent extremism remained the biggest threat accounting for 85 per cent of investigations.

Ideologically-motivated terrorism accounted for 15 per cent of terrorist threats, he said.

Mr Kershaw said ideologically-motivated extremist groups, also known as right-wing terror groups, were "extremely interconnected".

"Their views are diverse and include support for nationalist, white-supremacy and neo-Nazism.

The Commissioner said the AFP was braced for an increase in Islamist terrorism following the resurgence of the Taliban in Afghanistan.

He said Australian Islamist extremists were predominantly followers of the ISIL ideology, although some were followers of al-Qaeda.

"We expect that ISIL will transform and re-establish transnational links to increase their ability to direct or influence terrorism in other parts of the globe," he said.

Mr Kershaw said the other significant terrorist threat in Australia related to the release of convicted terrorist offenders.

"Eighteen terrorist offenders are scheduled for release from prison before 2026, and 54 are due for release by 2060," he said.

"Since February 2019, the AFP has applied for and obtained more control orders than in the 15 years prior.

"Seven individuals have been arrested and charged for breaching the conditions of their control orders since July 2020 - that is 70 per cent of individuals on control orders."

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/terrorist-recruiters-are-grooming-vulnerable-children-to-carry-out-violent-attacks/news-story/1569874c0473f2564389fd77bb8ea404

#14852955 at 2021-10-25 07:12:25 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #19 - THE ONLY WAY IS THE MILITARY Edition

AFP is looking to be 'more aggressive' with new cyber offensive arm

The AFP is in talks with the Five Eyes alliance about how it can implement a new cyber offensive operation.

Campbell Kwan - October 25, 2021

The Australian Federal Police is conducting an internal review to implement a new cyber offensive arm, AFP commissioner Reece Kershaw said at Senate Estimates on Monday morning.

"At the moment, we're actually going through an internal review of how we can be more aggressive in cyber, and it may mean a mini restructure internally for us to really have what we would call a cyber offensive operation of the AFP, which would actually conduct disruption operations on these individuals," he said

Kershaw said this process has included talking with the Five Eyes alliance about the growth of cyberthreats. Kershaw is currently the chair of Five Eyes' law enforcement group.

Throughout his testimony at Senate Estimates, Kershaw explained that the powers given to the AFP through the Surveillance Legislation Amendment (Identify and Disrupt) Act 2021, which passed earlier this year, would allow its cyber offensive capabilities to increase across various fronts, from countering child abuse, to spam, to terrorism.

"So [spam is] something we're looking forward to using those new powers to, you know, it is my personal pet hate. I get multiple ones a day," Kershaw said.

Through the new laws, the AFP and the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission (ACIC) will gain the ability to apply for three new warrants to deal with online crime.

The first of the warrants is a data disruption one, which gives cops the ability to "disrupt data" by modifying, copying, adding, or deleting it. The second is a network activity warrant that would allow the AFP and ACIC to collect intelligence from devices or networks that are used, or likely to be used, by those subject to the warrant. The last warrant is an account takeover warrant that will allow the agencies to take control of an online account for the purposes of gathering information for an investigation.

"This is the next frontier of crime, and the AFP and our partners will work with governments and global law enforcement networks to ensure the long arm of the AFP reaches criminals no matter where they are in the world," Kershaw said in his opening statement at Senate Estimates.

"Our investigators are already strategising how they will use the new powers in active investigations to identify, target, and disrupt offenders – including those relating to terrorism, large drug importations, and distribution of child abuse material."

The Attorney-General's department is currently working on authorising the warrants application process, with AFP Deputy Commissioner Ian McCartney saying that this process would be resolved in the coming weeks.

In the AFP's annual report released last week, the law enforcement agency said the past year has seen it expand cyber operational capacity and build technical capabilities as part of an $90 million investment by the Australian Government across four years. This includes the ransomware action plan's new Orcus taskforce and an AFP-led multi-agency taskforce called Dolos for targeting fraud that used compromised business emails.

The AFP added that it carried out 163 disruption activities and charged eight offenders with 21 offences in relation to cybercrime during 2020-21.

https://www.zdnet.com/article/afp-is-looking-to-be-more-aggressive-with-new-cyber-offense-arm/

https://www.afp.gov.au/sites/default/files/PDF/Reports/AFPAnnualReport20-21.pdf

#14818708 at 2021-10-20 07:47:53 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #19 - THE ONLY WAY IS THE MILITARY Edition

>>14818568
Greg Hunt chokes back tears as he reveals death threats to family

Rob Harris - October 20, 2021

Health Minister Greg Hunt has choked back tears while recalling violent threats made against him and his young family as the Australian Federal Police reviews the security arrangements of federal MPs following the stabbing murder of their British counterpart.

Mr Hunt, first elected 20 years ago, said the violent threats against MPs, including Northern Territory Chief Minister Michael Gunner at the weekend, must be "clearly, absolutely, unequivocally" condemned.

Mr Gunner's family had to leave their Darwin home after his personal address was disclosed in front of a large contingent of anti-vaccine protesters at the weekend.

Mr Hunt told reporters in Canberra he had never spoken about details of the threats received.

"There was a period where, yeah, the lives of my children were threatened quite openly some years ago, and that it was a matter of great concern. But we have very fine federal police in this country," an emotional Mr Hunt said.

"To those that think violence or the threat of violence is acceptable in any way, shape or form, it is not. As a country, we have to, I think, relearn the value of respect.

"And I don't mean holding … parliamentarians up on any pedestal. We're not better than anybody, but they're not worse than anybody.

"They are overwhelmingly public servants that seek to serve the nation, and there will be differing views and different approaches. But this notion of national tolerance and mutual respect is something I believe in … we follow the advice of the police at a state and federal level based on threat assessments, but it's that culture of mutual respect, which is critical."

Home Affairs Minister Karen Andrews met AFP Commissioner Reece Kershaw on Tuesday after half a dozen Coalition members raised concerns about the safety of their colleagues and staff members in their weekly party room meeting.

She told Parliament on Tuesday evening that members should not let the murder of Conservative MP Sir David Amess at a public meeting with voters deter them from important work in their communities.

Federal Agriculture Minister David Littleproud said he had received "a number of death threats" during his five years in Parliament and had an AFP security detail at times as a minister.

"Obviously that comes with what comes out of my mouth sometimes … but we live in a free country and I should be able to say what I want, within reason," the Nationals MP said.

"But obviously, I trust the AFP in making determinations of whether I need protection or not. I think Australia is a very mature country. They understand the political process. Some of them aren't as engaged in the political process as we'd like, but I think broadly we're a safe country."

Opposition home affairs spokeswoman Kristina Keneally said she was personally thankful for the effort the AFP makes to protect federal MPs of all political persuasions and said she had received threats in recent months.

"When my children were younger it was quite stressful. I had situations as NSW premier where I had police in my house with their guns drawn, clearing rooms to ensure an intruder wasn't there, with my children upstairs. This is part of the job, unfortunately."

She took aim at several Coalition MPs who she accused of giving a "wink and a nod" to ideologically motivated groups, saying it was in the national interest that they were called out and rejected by everyone from Prime Minister Scott Morrison down.

"We all have a role to play in saying Australian democracy is worth preserving. It's better than this. If there are things that Labor can do to assist the government, in making a more secure environment, then I'm happy to do that," she said.

https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/greg-hunt-chokes-back-tears-as-he-reveals-death-threats-to-family-20211020-p591l0.html

#14789348 at 2021-10-15 09:06:00 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #19 - THE ONLY WAY IS THE MILITARY Edition

#18 - Part 25
Child Exploitation, Pedophilia, Sexual Abuse and Human Trafficking Investigations - Part 1
>>14386067 Father Anthony Caruana's abuse of NSW school children destroyed lives and tore families apart, court told
>>14412752 Crackdown on slavery after 'evil and pernicious crime' soars - Home Affairs Minister Karen Andrews says the government has intensified efforts to detect and prosecute those who keep people trapped in slave-like conditions
>>14412760 Eight years a slave: Melbourne couple Kumuthini and Kandasamy Kannan's shocking secret - A woman is kept as a slave for eight years by a couple in a suburban Melbourne home. How could this happen?
>>14443431 Millionaire Businessman Ron Brierley 'scrubbed out' after being caught with child abuse images
>>14482024 Pope Francis replaces Australian Bishop Christopher Alan Saunders in alleged misconduct probe
>>14482027 Pope Francis accepts resignation of Australian Bishop investigated for sexual abuse, Christopher Alan Saunders
>>14482035 HOLY SEE PRESS OFFICE - Resignations and Appointments, 28.08.2021 - Resignation of bishop of Broome, Australia, and appointment of apostolic administrator sede vacante
>>14482035 Statement: Diocese of Broome - RESIGNATION OF BISHOP SAUNDERS - 28th August 2021
>>14482045 Q Post #2894 - Many more to come? Dark to LIGHT. Q
>>14495997 Questions cloud resignation of Bishop of Broome Christopher Saunders

>>14496003 Phillip James Scott - 'Pathetic' child abuser jailed in Tasmania
>>14507674 Suncorp Stadium partners with AFP to help solve child sex abuse crimes - Big screens at Suncorp Stadium to be used to promote an Australian first cold-case campaign
>>14507679 Australian Centre to Counter Child Exploitation - Stop child abuse - Trace An Object - We need your help in the fight against online child sexual exploitation - The smallest clue can often help solve a case - Can you help us recognise these objects?
>>14513194 RAAF Sergeant Jacob Donald Walsh abandons bid for bail, on child abuse charges, thanks to Joint Anti Child Exploitation Team
>>14513211 Brisbane man charged after allegedly uploading child sex abuse images to Instagram
>>14523376 How Australian police tracked Alladin Lanim, one of world's most wanted paedophiles, to Borneo
>>14529254 Police call on community to help as online child abuse grows, "becoming more violent and more sadistic" as predators take advantage of young people's online habits
>>14529254 Closing The Net - A podcast series that explores the world of the Australian Centre To Counter Child Exploitation - men and women policing the 'borderless crime' of online child sexual exploitation, their commitment to preventing abuse, and their dedication to seeking justice for the victims
>>14530937 Video: Closing The Net, Season 2 - Official Podcast Trailer - Australian Centre To Counter Child Exploitation
>>14533979 Covid-19 lockdown 'hiding sexual predators', says Australian Federal Police Commissioner Reece Kershaw

#14789273 at 2021-10-15 08:48:13 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #18 - Talisman Sabre: MAGIC SWORD Edition

#18 - Part 25
Child Exploitation, Pedophilia, Sexual Abuse and Human Trafficking Investigations - Part 1
>>14386067 Father Anthony Caruana's abuse of NSW school children destroyed lives and tore families apart, court told
>>14412752 Crackdown on slavery after 'evil and pernicious crime' soars - Home Affairs Minister Karen Andrews says the government has intensified efforts to detect and prosecute those who keep people trapped in slave-like conditions
>>14412760 Eight years a slave: Melbourne couple Kumuthini and Kandasamy Kannan's shocking secret - A woman is kept as a slave for eight years by a couple in a suburban Melbourne home. How could this happen?
>>14443431 Millionaire Businessman Ron Brierley 'scrubbed out' after being caught with child abuse images
>>14482024 Pope Francis replaces Australian Bishop Christopher Alan Saunders in alleged misconduct probe
>>14482027 Pope Francis accepts resignation of Australian Bishop investigated for sexual abuse, Christopher Alan Saunders
>>14482035 HOLY SEE PRESS OFFICE - Resignations and Appointments, 28.08.2021 - Resignation of bishop of Broome, Australia, and appointment of apostolic administrator sede vacante
>>14482035 Statement: Diocese of Broome - RESIGNATION OF BISHOP SAUNDERS - 28th August 2021
>>14482045 Q Post #2894 - Many more to come? Dark to LIGHT. Q
>>14495997 Questions cloud resignation of Bishop of Broome Christopher Saunders

>>14496003 Phillip James Scott - 'Pathetic' child abuser jailed in Tasmania
>>14507674 Suncorp Stadium partners with AFP to help solve child sex abuse crimes - Big screens at Suncorp Stadium to be used to promote an Australian first cold-case campaign
>>14507679 Australian Centre to Counter Child Exploitation - Stop child abuse - Trace An Object - We need your help in the fight against online child sexual exploitation - The smallest clue can often help solve a case - Can you help us recognise these objects?
>>14513194 RAAF Sergeant Jacob Donald Walsh abandons bid for bail, on child abuse charges, thanks to Joint Anti Child Exploitation Team
>>14513211 Brisbane man charged after allegedly uploading child sex abuse images to Instagram
>>14523376 How Australian police tracked Alladin Lanim, one of world's most wanted paedophiles, to Borneo
>>14529254 Police call on community to help as online child abuse grows, "becoming more violent and more sadistic" as predators take advantage of young people's online habits
>>14529254 Closing The Net - A podcast series that explores the world of the Australian Centre To Counter Child Exploitation - men and women policing the 'borderless crime' of online child sexual exploitation, their commitment to preventing abuse, and their dedication to seeking justice for the victims
>>14530937 Video: Closing The Net, Season 2 - Official Podcast Trailer - Australian Centre To Counter Child Exploitation
>>14533979 Covid-19 lockdown 'hiding sexual predators', says Australian Federal Police Commissioner Reece Kershaw

#14551801 at 2021-09-10 09:02:02 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #18 - Talisman Sabre: MAGIC SWORD Edition

Peterborough woman Teresa Van Lieshout arrested over fake police badges

Eric Tlozek - 10 September 2021

Federal police have charged a South Australian woman for allegedly ordering fake police badges as part of preparations to overthrow the government.

Teresa Van Lieshout, 49, was arrested after police searched her home at Peterborough in the mid-north last month.

Police also seized 470 fake badges sent to an address in Cairns, which were dumped in a creek.

They allege Ms Van Lieshout was part of a group which discussed forming an alternative federal police force to arrest politicians and public servants, although police do not believe the group was capable of carrying out the acts.

"Queensland Joint Counter Terrorism Team investigators (JCTT) have not found an impending threat to community safety, and have yet to find any evidence the group had the ability to carry out acts they had discussed," the AFP said in a statement.

Ms Van Lieshout, a former teacher who has run as a right-wing political candidate in Western Australia, has been charged with impersonating a Commonwealth official and importing a prohibited import.

She faced court in Adelaide on Thursday and will next appear in October.

Perth man Marcus Jensen, 49, from the suburb of Tuart Hill, has already faced court charged with impersonating a Commonwealth official over his alleged involvement in the group.

Police became interested in the group after a video began circulating on social media showing a man holding a recruitment meeting for an alternative police force.

The man, who is falsely said to be AFP commissioner Reece Kershaw in the video's description, is heard discussing plans to train officers in order to arrest MPs and bureaucrats.

He calls Teresa Van Lieshout "the true governor-general" of Australia, a position Ms Van Lieshout allegedly claimed to have appointed herself to earlier this year, subsequently issuing "arrest warrants" for politicians and officials.

Ms Van Lieshout has a history of fiery and unusual political campaigns that have included posing in a bikini to launch her tilt for the West Australian seat of Vasse.

Police said more charges against other group members were possible.

"There is no evidence this group had the ability to carry out specific violent acts, but the Queensland JCTT, with other JCTTs around the country, will continue to investigate people with links to this group and will lay further charges if more criminal offences are identified," the AFP's Assistant Commissioner for Counter Terrorism, Scott Lee, said.

"Impersonating Commonwealth officials and the potential misuse of AFP badges is something we take very seriously, which is reflected in the ongoing investigation and the action taken today."

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-09-10/peterborough-woman-arrested-over-fake-police-badges/100452416

#14533979 at 2021-09-07 07:58:05 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #18 - Talisman Sabre: MAGIC SWORD Edition

>>14529254
>>14530937
Covid-19 lockdown 'hiding sexual predators', says AFP

ADESHOLA ORE - SEPTEMBER 6, 2021

Australian Federal Police Commissioner Reece Kershaw has warned that Covid-19 lockdowns are hiding the reality of forced marriages and instances of sexual servitude and slavery.

Mr Kershaw will tell the ?National Women's Safety Summit on Tuesday that it is vital for the nation to have an honest conversation about perpetrators of violence without being constrained by a politically correct agenda.

In a draft version of his ?address, Mr Kershaw said the contributing factors to family and domestic ?violence could be "hard to hear" but that it was imperative to bring the discussion into the open.

"Some perpetrators may think they are not doing anything wrong and we need to call that out, no matter their background or ethnicity," Mr Kershaw said. "Perpetrators want to keep discussions about child sexual abuse taboo. That, coupled with secrets and the perception of shame, enables predators to keep offending."

Mr Kershaw also said the pandemic had fuelled the prevalence of online child abuse, with predators more easily able to find ?victims who were spending increased amounts of time online because of stay-at-home orders.

During the past financial year, the federal police and its partners have charged 235 people with more than 2700 child abuse-?related offences, with the AFP chief arguing the best form of ?protection and prevention was education.

"We must talk to our children about how to stay safe, not only in the real world, but the online world too," he said. "We know that these conversations we have about child sexual abuse - and the ones we will have on domestic and family violence during this summit - will be confronting and uncomfortable."

The speech comes after the AFP-led Australian Centre to Counter Child Exploitation last week launched a nationwide campaign to dismantle stigma about child sexual abuse and ?encourage kids to speak out.

The campaign, which features abuse survivor and Australian of the Year Grace Tame, follows ?research that found parents were often so sickened by the thought of abuse they would shy away from speaking to their child about it.

Mr Kershaw will also point to findings from the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse that it took, on average, almost 24 years for victims to speak about their abuse.

"That is not uncommon. We know there are too many victims who are not yet survivors because they are still within reach of their abusers," he said. "That means if victims of abuse are brave enough to speak up, then as a community we need to be brave enough to ?listen and act.

"If it used to take a village to raise a child, today, because of ?advances in technology, it now takes a country to keep them safe."

Addressing the issue of forced marriage, Mr Kershaw outlined how school closures and disconnection from community services had made it harder for people to report alleged offences.

He believed that lockdowns have contributed to an under-reporting of forced marriage and sexual slavery in Australia. He ?revealed the AFP reported a 62 per cent fall in reports of forced marriage in the first six months of the pandemic compared to the same period the previous year.

"Borders do not have to be open for forced marriage to happen in Australia," he said. "The AFP is very alive to how the pandemic is either fuelling or hiding crimes."

Mr Kershaw drew on several examples of modern slavery including a woman from The Philippines who, after travelling to Australia on a tourist visa to support a family after the birth of their child, was prevented from leaving and coerced into forced labour.

"In some cases, women vulnerable to these crimes are also the victims of sexual abuse and domestic violence," he said. "And this is often where state and commonwealth offences intersect."

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/politics/covid19-lockdown-hiding-sexual-predators-says-afp/news-story/4ff29c2548474709a684109820f6b48e

#14529254 at 2021-09-06 08:48:18 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #18 - Talisman Sabre: MAGIC SWORD Edition

Police call on community to help as online child abuse grows

Fergus Hunter - September 5, 2021

Police have called on the community to face up to difficult conversations about the growing danger of online child exploitation, warning that offenders are being charged almost every second day and do not conform to a stereotype of a creepy man in a hat and trench coat.

Australian Federal Police Assistant Commissioner Lesa Gale said child exploitation is more common in Australia than many appreciate and is "becoming more violent and more sadistic" as predators take advantage of young people's online habits.

To mark National Child Protection Week, the AFP is highlighting the growing phenomenon of offenders grooming children and soliciting sexual images from them on a range of social media, messaging and gaming platforms.

There can be as few as three sentences exchanged between a predator and child online before sexual content is provided, an AFP officer said, and victims often end up being blackmailed into providing more material.

"We need to do more, not just in our arrest rate and in our interventions, but in the prevention, education and awareness to make sure we keep our children safe online," AFP Commissioner Reece Kershaw said in a new episode of Australian Centre to Counter Child Exploitation podcast Closing the Net.

He warned "predators have adapted and … used quite sophisticated techniques to groom and harm our children".

As touchscreens make internet use more accessible to young children, an emerging category of risk has seen children as young as four years old uploading naked images when left unsupervised.

One parent, identified as Lizzie, told the podcast her teenage daughter sent a nude image over Snapchat to someone she thought was 14. When she subsequently refused to send any more, the man blackmailed her and threatened to distribute the photo.

"She didn't believe he would do it. And he did. He sent it to … not just school friends, but school kids that are around her," Lizzie said.

The photo was subsequently shared among children at the school and used to bully Lizzie's daughter.

Assistant Commissioner Gale urged parents and carers to pay attention to child protection advice, understand what their children are doing online and have open conversations with them about the dangers.

"The biggest misconception is that parents think it won't happen to them, and it won't be their kids. But let me tell you … it can happen to you and your children," she said.

Between July 2020 and June 2021, the child exploitation centre received more than 22,000 reports of online sexual exploitation in Australia.

In an open letter to Australian parents, Assistant Commissioner Gale said investigators were constantly working to protect children and arrest predators and wanted tip-offs from the community.

"Almost every second day, the AFP reveals another offender has been charged with online child sexual abuse-related charges," she said.

"But parents also need to give their children the confidence to speak up if they have been targeted or abused."

One AFP officer said the stereotype of offenders does not always conform to a stereotype depicted in movies or media coverage.

"The reality is that online offenders can be any age, any gender, from any background and from all walks of life. So, they're not always the creepy older male lurking in their parents' basement that we often see portrayed," the officer said.

Those arrested by police are male and female, employed and unemployed, partnered and single.

One AFP officer urged parents to understand what content children see online, how they interact with others, and the platforms and applications they use.

The approach is "pro-technology" and aims to help families have trusting relationships to avoid online dangers and respond to any incidents.

The ThinkUKnow education program is provided in languages other than English to help migrant parents strengthen their understanding of risks in the online environment and how child grooming can happen.

Advice on reporting abuse can be found at the Australian Centre to Counter Child Exploitation website. If this article has raised concerns for you, support is available by phoning Lifeline on 13 11 14.

http://www.accce.gov.au/

https://www.lifeline.org.au/

https://www.thinkuknow.org.au/

https://www.smh.com.au/national/police-call-on-community-to-help-as-online-child-abuse-grows-20210905-p58oxd.html

—

Closing The Net

A podcast series that explores the world of the ACCCE - men and women policing the 'borderless crime' of online child sexual exploitation, their commitment to preventing abuse, and their dedication to seeking justice for the victims.

https://omny.fm/shows/closing-the-net

#14385812 at 2021-08-18 07:27:03 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #18 - Talisman Sabre: MAGIC SWORD Edition

#17 - Part 8
Australian Politics and Society - Part 8
>>14265940 PDF: Diggers to fight on digital front - Australian Defence Force adopts new digital battle space strategy and modern warfare posture
>>14265963 Japanese Ambassador YAMAGAMI Shingo Tweet: Exercise @TalismanSabre 21 has concluded, but (Japan and Australia's) journey to maintain and strengthen a #FreeAndOpenIndoPacific steadily and resolutely continues
>>14265971 Israeli Minister of Defense Benny Gantz Tweet: I had an excellent call with my Australian counterpart @peterdutton_MP, emphasizing the strong bond between our countries based on shared values
>>14274251, >>14274255 Academic papers from the 1960s reveal how a CIA-funded 'mind control' program came to Australia - MK-Ultra and Operation Midnight Climax
>>14274481 Talisman Sabre Tweet: Video - And that's a wrap! Seven nations worked, trained & fought side by side in some of the most realistic & challenging training activities yet. Thank you to all involved in #TalismanSabre2021 & thank you Australia. See you in 2023
>>14274492 Talisman Sabre wraps up - Nearly 17,000 personnel from Australia, the United States, Canada, Japan, the Republic of Korea, New Zealand and the United Kingdom worked, trained and fought side by side
>>14282328 Proposed AFP dark web powers get cautious tick - Australian Federal Police and Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission would be given powers to hunt paedophile rings, terrorists and drug traffickers operating on the "dark web" under planned laws
>>14282642 Ambassador YAMAGAMI Shingo Tweet: Delighted to welcome to my Residence AFP @AusFedPolice Commissioner Reece Kershaw APM
>>14289308 US Consulate Perth Tweets: A new memorial has been unveiled at WA Maritime Museum in Fremantle in honor of American World War II submarine USS Bullhead - departed Fremantle on July 31, 1945…sunk in an attack by a Japanese army aircraft on August 6 in the Java Sea
>>14289327 U.S. Embassy and Consulates in Australia - New U.S. Submarine Memorial Unveiled in Perth - 6 August, 2021

>>14289709 Department of Defence Tweet: HMA Ships Canberra and Ballarat have arrived in the Western Pacific Ocean for the opening phase of the US-led Large Scale Global Exercise 21
>>14289712 Australian ships join US-led Large Scale Global Exercise 21 - defence.gov.au
>>14289723 Marine Rotational Force - Darwin Tweet: Today we honor those wounded in action, understanding that some gave their last full measure of devotion. We thank those at @WWRUSMC for taking care of Marines on the road to recovery. Semper Fidelis
>>14303677 Video: Rationalist Society of Australia President Meredith Doig, leading voice behind 2021 Census 'No Religion' campaign praises Satanism
>>14303690 RSA Webinar: Michael Dove on 'The census and religion-Giving more Australians the freedom to choose' - Rationalists Australia
>>14303709 Q Post #1646 - NEVER IN OUR HISTORY HAVE THEY BEEN THIS EXPOSED. NEVER IN OUR HISTORY HAVE THEY COME OUT FROM THE SHADOWS TO FIGHT.
>>14303709 Q Post #4461 - Only when evil is forced into the light can we defeat it. Only when they can no longer operate in the [shadows] can people see the truth for themselves.
>>14303709 Q Post #4396 - God wins.
>>14304238 Japanese Ambassador YAMAGAMI Shingo Tweet: Solemnly attended the bell ringing ceremony to remember the tragedy of Hiroshima and Nagasaki hosted by Rotary Club of Canberra Burley Griffin. Expressed my sincere condolences and renewed my determination to work hard with (Australia) for peace and stability of this region.
>>14304266 III Marine Expeditionary Force Tweet: Marines with @MrfDarwin and @AustralianArmy soldiers reviewed a terrain model during a concept rehearsal. Leaders review schemes of maneuver during rehearsals to seamlessly complete the mission.

#14385811 at 2021-08-18 07:26:42 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #18 - Talisman Sabre: MAGIC SWORD Edition

#17 - Part 7
Australian Politics and Society - Part 7
>>14236111 Making new mates on exercise Talisman Sabre: Australian-Japanese soldier Private Louii Hornibrook, 3rd Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment - Captain Dan Mazurek - defence.gov.au
>>14236173 Marine Rotational Force - Darwin Tweet: Come out, come out, wherever you are #SouthernJackaroo #YourADF #MRFD #ADF #australianarmy #Australia #Darwin #IIIMEF #Marines #MarineCorps #freeandopenindopacific #JGSDF
>>14236208 Department of Defence Tweet: Ready for action - Preparations are underway for high-end warfighting Exercise #Koolendong, which is set to take place during August and September between elements of #AusArmy's 1 Brigade and the @MrfDarwin
>>14236219 Communications ready for Koolendong - The live-fire exercise will be held during August and September at the Bradshaw Field Training Area, NT - Captain Peter March - defence.gov.au
>>14243180 YouTube restricts Sky News Australia channel over 'COVID misinformation'
>>14245420 Vaccination the gold medal we aspire to - Prime Minister Scott Morrison - theaustralian.com.au
>>14248043 "Thought my Aussie's might enjoy this…. - QClock August 1, 2021 - Australia 5:5" - U.S. Marines Tweet - G'day, mates! @Australian_Navy
>>14249439 U.S. Marines Tweet: G'day, mates! @Australian_Navy - #Marines and Sailors of the America Expeditionary Strike Group greet the crew of HMAS Ballarat (FFH 155) during an underway replenishment of the amphibious assault ship USS America (LHA 6) in the Coral Sea
>>14249699 Fake video purports to show Australian Federal Police boss Reece Kershaw plotting to overthrow government
>>14249700 Plot to oust government, replace AFP thwarted by counter-terrorism police

>>14249732 Man charged with impersonating Commonwealth official as search warrants executed in three states - Australian Federal Police - 2 August 2021
>>14249774 Man charged over fake video of AFP chief Kershaw 'plotting coup'
>>14249933 Talisman Sabre Tweet: Video - What's it like training with your Australian comrades? Hear from U.S. Special Operations personnel as they complete jump training with #YourADF from an MC-130J Air Commando II during #TS21
>>14249965 Talisman Sabre Tweet: - The end of #TS21 - #YourADF and International Military personnel who participated in #TalismanSabre this year marked the end of the exercise during a closing ceremony yesterday. But it's not the end of us! We still have lots to show you so stay tuned
>>14249989 U.S. Embassy and Consulates in Australia - Charg? d'Affaires Doug Sonnek Speech: Talisman Sabre Closing Ceremony - August 01, 2021
>>14250019 Defence Minister Peter Dutton flags participation of India in Australia's biggest wargames with the US, saying he'd like to see the nation's Quad partner at Exercise Talisman Sabre in two years' time
>>14257419 Talisman Sabre's theatre of war - Australia's biggest defence exercise with the US has grown into a significant multinational training event
>>14257474 Local, national and calls to mobiles will now be free from Telstra payphones
>>14257486 Foreign Minister Marise Payne Tweet: (Australia) is working with our closest partners on global health security, equitable vaccine access & promoting shared values of democracy & human rights. Today I met with Five Eyes counterparts…on Indo-Pacific priorities & challenges
>>14265858 Video: SkyNews Australia anchor slams YouTube for 'most extreme cancelation of free speech imaginable' - Fox News / Tucker Carlson Tonight

#14385807 at 2021-08-18 07:25:52 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #18 - Talisman Sabre: MAGIC SWORD Edition

#17 - Part 5
Australian Politics and Society - Part 5
>>14187200 Huawei hiring former Democratic super lobbyist Tony Podesta - Back in business after a Mueller-induced hiatus
>>14187418 The Mehdi Hasan Show Tweet: Do Fox and the Murdochs have blood on their hands for all the disinformation they've propagated? @TurnbullMalcolm: "They certainly have contributed to blood being shed."
>>14187427 Video: Former Australian PM Malcolm Turnbull Slams Rupert Murdoch Over Fox's Involvement in 1/6 Insurrection and Vaccine Hesitancy Push
>>14187430 Video: Rupert Murdoch's Disinformation Media Empire | The Mehdi Hasan Show - The Choice
>>14187446 Talisman Sabre Tweet: Getting to the mission - #Marines with @MrfDarwin departed Townsville in several MV-22B Osprey aircraft last night to conduct night operations during #TS21.
>>14201082 Talisman Sabre Tweet: Our nations training together - Troops from #TS21 have descended on the town of Bowen in Queensland, as part of military drills to enhance their war fighting skills in an urban environment
>>14201083 War games begin in Bowen - Private Jacob Joseph - defence.gov.au
>>14206825 Video: 3rd Brigade's Battle Group Eagle conducts a firepower demonstration of the capabilities it can provide to the joint force during Exercise Talisman Sabre 2021 - Department of Defence Australia
>>14206828 Marine Rotational Force - Darwin Tweet: Today marks 68 years since the cessation of hostilities in the Korean War. On this day, we pause to remember those Marines who served in legendary battles from the breakout at Chosin Reservoir to the amphibious landings at Inchon.
>>14206840 Pacific Marines Tweet: @USMC with 1st Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, @MrfDarwin, execute airfield assault training as part of Exercise @TalismanSabre 21 (TS21) in Bowen, Queensland, Australia

>>14206859 Talisman Sabre Tweet: Video: Check it out - @usairforce defenders are flying in! The Deployed Aircraft Ground Response Element team complete training after exiting from an MC-130J during #TS21 at #AusAirForce Base Tindal
>>14213706 Video: Trilateral activity Exercise Southern Jackaroo involved soldiers from the ADF's 1st Brigade - Darwin, Japanese Ground Self-Defense Force, and United States Marine Rotational Force - Darwin - Department of Defence Australia
>>14213739 Japanese Ambassador YAMAGAMI Shingo Tweet: Magnificent to see (Japan, Australia) and partners with shared strategic interests gathering in our region. @Japan_GSDF troops participating in Exercise @TalismanSabre had the honour of meeting with the Commander of 1st Division, MAJGEN Jake Ellwood
>>14213787 Japan Ground Self-Defense Force - Ground Component Command Tweet: [ #Talisman Saber 21 ] Photo: #Ground Component Command #Amphibious Rapid Deployment Brigade and Australian Army Combat Training (Urban Warfare ) Bowen City Alert
>>14213840 Video: Rosa Maria Maione, the so-called carer of Annie Smith, pleads guilty to her manslaughter in the disability neglect case that horrified Australia
>>14220773 Worldwide hacking warning issued on how businesses are being compromised during COVID-19
>>14220789 U.S., U.K., and Australia Issue Joint Cybersecurity Advisory - Australian Cyber Security Centre - July 2021
>>14220833 Australian Federal Police Commissioner Reece Kershaw says AFP has 'another ingenious plan' to further dismantle organised crime networks after pulling off Operation Ironside sting
>>14220859 Australian Bar Association calls for Attorney-General Michaelia Cash to reconsider controversial prosecution of Canberra lawyer Bernard Collaery
>>14220897 ADF, U.S. and Japanese joint amphibious assault - Talisman Sabre 2021 - Department of Defence Australia

#13949411 at 2021-06-21 08:53:42 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #16 - INFILTRATION NOT INVASION Edition

Police to consider brief on Brittany Higgins case

Samantha Maiden - JUNE 21, 2021

Prosecutors have received the police brief of evidence over the alleged rape of Brittany Higgins and will now consider whether or not to lay charges.

News.com.au has confirmed today that police handed over the brief of evidence in recent days to the ACT Director of Public Prosecutions Shane Drumgold.

"I confirm I have today received a partial brief of evidence, and a request to provide advice for consideration of prosecution," Mr Drumgold said.

News.com.au broke the story on February 15 that a Liberal staffer alleged she was raped at Parliament House in Defence Minister Linda Reynolds' ministerial office by a colleague.

In explosive allegations detailing the Morrison Government's handling of the incident, media adviser Brittany Higgins told news.com.au that she spent the last two years "internalising the trauma".

She revealed that she was brought to a formal employment meeting about the incident in the room where the alleged incident occurred - a decision the Morrison Government has now accepted was an error by the then Defence Industry Minister Linda Reynolds.

Last month, Australian Federal Police Commissioner Reece Kershaw revealed that a brief of evidence would be sent to the ACT Director of Public Prosecutions over the alleged rape of Brittany Higgins within "weeks".

The bombshell announcement in Senate estimates confirms that prosecutors will now shortly consider whether or not criminal charges will be laid against a man who Ms Higgins alleges sexually assaulted her at Parliament House in March 2019.

"A brief of evidence is likely to be submitted to the ACT Director of Public Prosecutions in coming weeks," Commissioner Kershaw said.

But Commissioner Kershaw cautioned MPs over asking him questions over the allegations now that it would potentially go to "jury trial" if the matter is prosecuted in the courts.

Ms Higgins was just 24 at the time of the alleged incident and only months into her "dream job" of working at parliament.

The alleged incident occurred in the early hours of March 23, 2019, just weeks before Prime Minister Scott Morrison called the election on April 10, 2019.

Commissioner Kershaw has also revealed the fallout from the Higgins matter had now sparked multiple reports of unrelated sexual misconduct allegations at Parliament House involving federal MPs and their staff.

"As at 17 May 2021, 40 reports have been received by the AFP since 24 February relating to 19 different allegations. Twelve reports were identified as sensitive investigations, 10 were referred to state and territory police for assessment, one is with the AFP for ongoing inquiries and one has been finalised,'' he said.

"Seven matters do not relate to electorate officers, ministerial staff or official establishments, of those five have been referred to state and territory police and two concluded with no criminal offence identified."

https://www.news.com.au/national/courts-law/act-director-of-public-prosecutions-to-consider-police-brief-on-brittany-higgins-case/news-story/9b4a9b0cbfa11c07966ec4c9ee0e84ef

#13862146 at 2021-06-09 07:55:51 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #16 - INFILTRATION NOT INVASION Edition

>>13862138

2/2

Europol reacts

"This operation is an exceptional success by the authorities in the United States, Sweden, the Netherlands, Australia, New Zealand and the other European members of the Operational Task Force," Europol's Deputy Executive Director Jean-Philippe Lecouffe said.

"Europol co-ordinated the international law enforcement community, enriched the information picture and brought criminal intelligence into ongoing operations to target organised crime and drug trafficking organisations, wherever they are and however they choose to communicate.

"I am very satisfied to see Europol supporting this operation and strengthen law enforcement partnerships by emphasising the multi-agency aspect of the case."

FBI

"Encrypted criminal communications platforms have traditionally been a tool to evade law enforcement and facilitate transnational organised crime," Mr Shivers said.

"The FBI and our international partners continue to push the envelope and develop innovative ways to overcome these challenges and bring criminals to justice.

"We are grateful to Europol for their commitment to fighting transnational organised crime and their partnership with the FBI."

Swedish Police

"This operation, with an extensive strike yesterday, is one of the largest intelligence-led police operations against violent crime and drug networks ever in Sweden," said Linda H Staaf, Police Commissioner and Head of Intelligence of the Swedish Police.

"From the Swedish police's point of view there were no doubt to be the leading part in Europe together with the Netherlands and Europol.

"We highly appreciate this type of co-operation between law enforcement agencies. The criminality spreads across borders and international co-operation is crucial to fight serious crime."

Netherlands Police

"Operation Trojan Shield is a fine example of innovative and daring police work that is unparalleled," said Jannine van den Berg, Chief Constable of the Netherlands Police's Central Unit.

"Each partner provided its own unique expertise and together we delivered a fantastic international performance.

"Thanks to the excellent technical skills of the Dutch police, the millions of messages could be analysed and interpreted.

"Just like the investigations into EncroChat and Sky, Operation Trojan Shield also shows that serious criminals wrongly believe that they can operate anonymously and out of sight of the police and that they cannot be caught.

"Nothing turns out to be less true. My compliments and thanks go to all participants of Operation Trojan Shield."

Australian Federal Police

"The AFP and FBI have been working together on a world-first operation to bring to justice the organised crime gangs flooding our communities with drugs, guns and violence," said Australian Federal Police Commissioner Reece Kershaw.

"Europol has been a trusted and committed partner during this time.

"Very few matters unite law enforcement like bringing to justice those who seek to do our citizens harm.

"The FBI provided an encrypted communications platform while the AFP deployed the technical capability that helped unmask some of the biggest criminals in the world.

"The intelligence shared by Europol has helped to ensure this is one of the most significant global task forces for law enforcement.

"This week the AFP will execute hundreds of warrants and is expected to arrest hundreds of offenders who were linked to the platform.

"This is the culmination of hard work, perseverance and an invaluable, trusted relationship with Europol.

"We thank Europol for their long and integral partnership with the AFP.

"Crime is local but when we work together our reach is global."

https://www.news.com.au/technology/online/fbi-europol-afp-react-to-global-take-down-of-mafia-bikie-members-in-sting-of-the-century/news-story/99edefcb1acbc2e6ead103db554e8758

https://twitter.com/Europol/status/1402200741125758983

https://twitter.com/Polisen_Sverige/status/1402180891372314624

https://twitter.com/AusFedPolice/status/1402149858857820162

#13855213 at 2021-06-08 08:21:15 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #16 - INFILTRATION NOT INVASION Edition

>>13855210

3/3

By April 2021, Ironside - the humble investigation which started out with just three AFP agents officers - had become a monster in size, as thousands of investigators and specialists joined its ranks and police from every mainland state, along with New Zealand, were brought in to bring it to a close.

Ironside's senior investigating officer, Detective Superintendent Des Appleby, says the AFP had been witnessing plots to import drugs, murder other criminals or harm their families over drug debts, and extensive money-laundering and drug manufacturing and shared intelligence with other agencies more than 1000 times.

"We have helped other police forces solve a number of murders and other serious crimes along the way,'' he says.

Appleby says the impact on organised crime in Australia would be profound.

"I personally think particularly with the Comanchero motorcycle gang it will hopefully wipe them out. The Lone Wolfs the same thing. Other organised crime figures,'' he says.

"It will shatter their confidence in encrypted devices.''

He said those who had been using AN0M and didn't get rounded up by police this week would know it was just a matter of time until they did.

By May, the operation had become so large that for the first time in the AFP's history, almost the entire force was dedicated to the operation. Detectives were ready to pounce and unmask the underworld's biggest players as the FBI prepared to shutdown AN0M on June 7.

"For a long time we were like a minnow in the whole market - but when you look at the opportunities - the minnows could catch the big fish,'' Commander Boudry says.

The sheer size of the take-down is expected to put significant pressure on Australia's judicial system, clogging up the courts and making a number of lawyers rich.

Officials from the Australian Border Force, Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission, the Australian Taxation Office, Australian Securities and Investments Commission and state and territory police will also be hard-pressed to keep up with the caseload.

Kirsty Schofield, the Commander of Investigations in New South Wales, said an enormous amount of work was needed to examine what was found during the searches and to compile briefs of evidence in court.

"I really think this is going to see us working for the next few years,'' she says.

Boudry had the final word for those caught out by Operation Ironside.

"Well, we got you on this one,'' he says.

"The (AFP) Commissioner (Reece Kershaw) talks about outsmarting criminals - and we've done that here.

"We ... have people who are capable of extraordinary things. Technically capable and who understand the environment in which they work. These people were able to put those two things together and truly outsmart the criminals.''

https://www.couriermail.com.au/news/national/part-3-criminal-influencers-who-took-the-afp-and-fbi-bait-by-using-the-an0m-app/news-story/71b52a8d766dd157de4f211423a61b77

#13855034 at 2021-06-08 07:10:02 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #16 - INFILTRATION NOT INVASION Edition

>>13855012
Operation Ironside: AFP, FBI take down mafia, bikie members in 'sting of the century'

Dramatic footage has shown the arrests of hundreds of Australians in what's been dubbed the "sting of the century".

Natalie Wolfe and Natalie Brown - JUNE 8, 2021

1/2

Police have revealed new details of what's been dubbed the "sting of the century", including dramatic footage and images of the exact moment they nabbed dozens of suspects as part of a global operation to bring down terrorist groups, mafia organisations and outlaw motorcycle gangs.

Operation Ironside was formed three years ago as a collaboration between the Australian Federal Police (AFP) and the United States' Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) to bring down underworld figures.

Victoria Police carried out warrants in 52 suburbs. In a statement, officers said the murders of Muhamed Yucel in Keysborough in 2017; Zabi Ezedeyer in Narre Warren in 2017 and Ikenasio Tuivasa in Ravenhall earlier this year had also been potentially linked to persons or information in the operation.

'Significant quantities' of drugs found in NSW

In NSW, investigators executed 33 search warrants, arrested 35 people and seized 27 firearms, more than $800,000 in cash, luxury vehicles worth $1.5 million and "significant quantities" of prohibited drugs - including MDMA, cocaine, ice and cannabis - during the state-based arm of Operation Ironside, police said in a statement.

Officers sized 27 firearms - including two Glock pistols and a 50-calibre sniper rifle - as well as luxury vehicles including a Ferrari, Lamborghini, McLaren and Bentley.

Sting 'a heavy blow against organised crime'

Earlier today, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said the Australian Government "has struck a heavy blow against organised crime - not just in this country, but one that will echo around organised crime around the world".

"This is a watershed moment in Australian law enforcement history ... Everything we've been doing has been to keep Australians safe," he told reporters.

Hundreds of alleged offenders were tricked into communicating via AN0M, an encrypted app designed by police.

The app also helped police stop a mass shooting of a family of five, orchestrated by organised crime.

"That particular case will come out later on where they planned on using a machine gun and potentially at a cafe where people would have been no doubt harmed," AFP Commissioner Reece Kershaw said.

"We were able to, with the co-operation of that particular state police force, take out that individual before they were able to do that."

Mr Kershaw said the person planning the mass shooting had been arrested some time ago, however other people allegedly involved were still being investigated.

More than 220 members of Australia's underworld were arrested as part of the nation's largest ever crime sting after they were allegedly caught using the app to plan executions, drug imports and launder money.

Hundreds more were nabbed by police in Europe and the US as authorities conducted sweeping raids across the globe.

The AFP said it had busted 21 murder plots, stopped more than 3000kg of drugs from hitting the streets and seized $35 million in cash.

Mr Kershaw said the organisation had inflicted "maximum damage to serious organised crime".

"With devastating consequences to those who seek to do harm to Australians and Australia's interests, and today, Australia is a safer country because of this unprecedented AFP-led operation," Mr Kershaw added.

More than 4000 law enforcement officers were involved in executing 525 search warrants across Australia.

"Ironside has arrested and charged who we allege are some of the most dangerous criminals to Australia," Mr Kershaw said.

"We allege they are members of outlaw motorcycle gangs, Australian Mafia, Asian crime syndicates and serious and organised crime groups.

"We allege they've been trafficking illicit drugs into Australia at an industrial scale.

"Sadly, criminal gangs are targeting Australia because it is one of the most profitable countries in the world to sell drugs, and for three years, this operation has been covert.

"Australian law enforcement has been arresting and charging alleged offenders and we have prevented tonnes of drugs from coming onshore."

(continued)

#13855016 at 2021-06-08 07:05:32 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #16 - INFILTRATION NOT INVASION Edition

>>13855012

2/2

Federal police Commissioner Reece Kershaw said it was an unprecedented operation that had netted some of Australia's most dangerous criminals.

"We allege they are members of outlaw motorcycle gangs, Australian Mafia, Asian crime syndicates and serious and organised crime groups. We allege they've been trafficking illicit drugs into Australia at an industrial scale," he said.

Worldwide, 9000 law enforcement officials were involved in co-ordinated operations linked to the penetration of An0m.

Orchestrated by the FBI, An0m launched a few years ago and recently grew in popularity as an alternative to the Ciphr encrypted network, which has reportedly lost users because of fears among criminals it has also been compromised by authorities.

Encrypted communications have become a pillar of organised crime activity and hampered investigations.

"You take that away, they can't do their business," a senior law enforcement officer told The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age.

Anthony Russo, the FBI's representative at the US embassy in Australia, said global co-operation was necessary to tackle modern organised crime.

"In today's world, crime continues to transverse international borders. The threats we face are too diverse and too complex for any one organisation to tackle alone," he said.

Australian fugitive Hakan Ayik, who has been living in Turkey and is suspected by authorities of being a major facilitator of drug imports into Australia, was viewed as one of the two most influential backers of An0m.

Commissioner Kershaw publicly advised Ayik on Tuesday to turn himself in because he had inadvertently helped set up a vast number of criminal peers and was now in danger.

"He's essentially set up his own colleagues," Commissioner Kershaw said.

The Herald and Age revealed Ayik's location and new identity in Istanbul in recent days and exposed his suspected role as the founder of the "Aussie Cartel" of organised crime figures wielding major influence over drug importation into Australia.

Rumours about the takedown of one of encrypted communication platforms were spreading in underworld circles on Monday, one source said.

In recent days, An0m's Facebook, YouTube and Reddit accounts were deleted and key material on its website became unavailable. A chat feature allowing contact with the company had disappeared by Monday evening.

The site previously boasted that An0m was "hardened" against surveillance and intrusion with "military-grade" encryption. People could send messages and share files contained entirely within the app.

It also offered the ability to "sanitise" or wipe data if a device was seized by authorities.

"Deleted data cannot be recovered through forensic examination," the site said.

The organisation said it was based in Panama and would only respond to law enforcement inquiries in that jurisdiction.

But the network was being monitored by law enforcement the whole time even as it became more popular.

An0m and Ciphr followed Phantom Secure, a pioneering network that used specially modified phones and was used enthusiastically by organised crime. It was shut down in 2018.

European media also reported in March that another secure platform used by criminals, Sky ECC, had been compromised by law enforcement.

https://www.theage.com.au/national/mass-raids-arrests-across-australia-after-police-sting-dismantles-encrypted-app-used-by-criminals-20210607-p57yya.html

#13748811 at 2021-05-25 08:57:49 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #16 - INFILTRATION NOT INVASION Edition

19 alleged incidents of misconduct involving federal MPs, staff reported to AFP

Katina Curtis and Anthony Galloway - May 25, 2021

1/2

Police have received reports about 19 incidents of possible misconduct involving federal MPs and their staff since former Liberal staffer Brittany Higgins came forward in February to allege she was raped by a colleague in Parliament House.

The criminal investigation into Ms Higgins' allegation is reaching its final stages with police preparing a brief for prosecutors. It comes as cabinet prepares to consider an independent mechanism to deal with serious complaints within parliamentary workplaces.

Australian Federal Police commissioner Reece Kershaw told a Senate estimates hearing on Tuesday that police had received 40 reports relating to the 19 alleged incidents of misconduct involving federal politicians and their staff. Mr Kershaw confirmed some of the reports related to alleged sexual assaults and said 12 had been identified as "sensitive investigations". The AFP defines a sensitive investigation as one that involves an elected member, journalist or prominent person, could impact the operation of government and Parliament, or may be of "significant interest" to the Australian community.

The AFP later confirmed it had referred 15 of the matters to state and territory police for further investigation.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison will take recommendations from his department's deputy secretary, Stephanie Foster, on how to improve workplace conditions for political staffers at Parliament House to a cabinet meeting later on Tuesday.

The review of complaints handling was called after Ms Higgins went public with an allegation she was raped by a colleague in a ministerial office in March 2019.

Ms Foster has recommended an independent and confidential complaints mechanism be set up and that there be face-to-face education for managers and staff to understand their workplace obligations and how to respond to serious incidents.

She spoke to staffers, politicians and experts in the field for her report, which was finished late on Monday night. She also spoke with organisations such as sporting codes and mining companies which had already tackled similar issues.

"Her proposals and recommendations seek to ensure that processes are independent, provide empowerment to victims and provide timely, effective and ongoing support," Mr Morrison said.

He noted work to establish a new complaints mechanism was "more detailed and complex and will require consultation across the Parliament".

Mr Morrison briefed coalition MPs on Ms Foster's report on Tuesday morning.

The union representing parliamentary staff called for the government to release Ms Foster's report and consult employees about its recommendations, but said mandatory training was welcome if long overdue.

Community and Public Sector Union national secretary Melissa Donnelly said this would not be "the last step in making Parliament House a safer place".

Ms Foster told a Senate estimates hearing she had sought to focus on things that could be done immediately or in the very short term.

(continued)

#13665040 at 2021-05-15 02:26:47 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #15 - NEVER RETREAT FROM THE BATTLEFIELD Edition

>>13407722
Police probe sealed envelopes, scraps of paper in Ben Roberts-Smith case

Nick McKenzie and Chris Masters - May 15, 2021

1/2

A new police taskforce investigating former soldier Ben Roberts-Smith has uncovered scraps of paper with the hand-written names and addresses of SAS soldiers, created as part of an alleged plot to threaten witnesses to a war crimes inquiry.

The discovery of the scraps of paper, along with witness testimony alleging that Mr Roberts-Smith was behind the 2018 plot to intimidate witnesses, is the biggest breakthrough yet for the recently launched Australian Federal Police taskforce as it investigates the former soldier for serious criminal offences.

If it was proven that Mr Roberts-Smith had sought to threaten any of his fellow Special Air Service Regiment soldiers to stop them testifying at the Brereton inquiry into alleged war crimes, he could face up to five years in jail.

The former soldier has denied any involvement in the intimidation plot and is suing The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald over reports detailing his alleged involvement in war crimes, bullying and assaulting a woman.

In late April, AFP Deputy Commissioner Ian McCartney told a parliamentary estimates committee that the federal police had in late March launched a new "priority" investigation into Mr Roberts-Smith and that the witness intimidation allegations were being treated "seriously".

Mr McCartney refused to provide the committee with further details and the AFP has declined to respond to inquiries, citing ongoing investigations. But multiple sources with knowledge of the investigation, who were not authorised to speak publicly, said the handwritten scraps of paper contained the names of two SAS soldiers who had served with Mr Roberts-Smith in Afghanistan.

Both SAS veterans hold adverse information about the decorated former soldier and both men were ordered to appear before the Brereton inquiry, a major probe into alleged war crimes run between 2016 and 2020 by the military Inspector-General and overseen by senior judge Paul Brereton.

Detectives working on the case have also recovered four envelopes containing threatening anonymous messages warning the two SAS soldiers to cover up damning alleged misconduct in Afghanistan.

Two of the envelopes were sent to one of the witnesses via a post office servicing the elite SAS headquarters in Perth. They were seized by the AFP in June 2018. The remaining envelopes were never sent. They were recovered by police in March 2020.

In 2018, the then chief of the defence force, Mark Binskin, described the sending of the anonymous letters as a disgraceful criminal act aimed at scaring witnesses from testifying before the Brereton inquiry. He said defence had called the AFP in to urgently investigate, although the original police inquiry stalled until the recent discovery of the handwritten notes.

That discovery triggered AFP Commissioner Reece Kershaw to launch a new police taskforce. The AFP taskforce is operating in Brisbane and is the third investigating Mr Roberts-Smith.

(continued)

#13267037 at 2021-03-21 08:14:55 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #14 - THE ART OF WAR Edition

>>13267035

2/3

The agency he joined in 1995 was highly secretive; few Australians had ever heard of the directorate and his own family had little idea what he did.

He says he had a few key mentors, including the former head of directorate, Stephen Merchant, as well as former ASIO director-general David Irvine. Merchant taught him the "power of communication - the need to be a constant drumbeat, be very clear on your message, stick to it, and keep repeating it until people close to you will roll their eyes because they've heard it a thousand times".

After five years as deputy director for cyber and information security, Burgess returned to the civilian world. He joined Telstra in 2013 as the company's chief information security officer.

In 2017, Burgess was appointed inaugural director-general of the rebadged Australian Signals Directorate, vowed to bring the organisation "out of the shadows". In moves that shook the intelligence community and surprised the media, he made a series of public speeches and statements about the evolving role of the directorate and the increased threat of cyber attacks.

Since taking over ASIO, he has made similar promises to be as open as possible. In a major change, he delivers "annual threat assessments" to the nation. In his second such speech on Wednesday night, Burgess revealed ASIO last year cracked a major foreign espionage network operating in Australia that successfully recruited a government official with access to sensitive defence technology, in what he described as a "nest of spies".

He also announced ASIO would be scrapping the terms "right-wing extremism" and "Islamic extremism" as umbrella labels, arguing they are "no longer fit for purpose".

The speeches are unprecedented in their detail on recent ASIO operations. Burgess describes figuring out how much he can say to the public as a "creative process".

He says he knows he needs to "walk the talk" on being transparent, but "I think we've already demonstrated that".

"Without telling what we do, [I want to explain] why we exist, how we're governed, how we're overseen, what the threat environment is," Burgess says.

He says he wants to be transparent because he believes it is the right thing to do, noting the considerable powers given to his organisation come from parliament and the budgets from the government, which are democratically accountable.

While Burgess is a part of a new generation of leaders in the national security world - including Australian Federal Police Commissioner Reece Kershaw, Office of National Intelligence boss Andrew Shearer and ASD director-general Rachel Noble - he is easily the most high-profile. Part of this has to do with ASIO's role as Australia's domestic spy agency and Burgess's desire to keep Australians informed as much as possible.

Professor of international security and intelligence studies at the Australian National University John Blaxland, who co-authored two volumes of ASIO's official history, says "Mike Burgess is presiding over an organisation going through a revolution".

"He has transformed the internal workings of ASIO. He has come to the job with an understanding of the cyber domain and its implication to domestic security intelligence like no one before him has," he says.

"The old-school analogue human-to-human intelligence of the past hasn't gone away, but relatively speaking has diminished in significance."

(continued)

#13184141 at 2021-03-11 05:34:14 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #14 - THE ART OF WAR Edition

AFP pushes for sweeping powers lashed as 'dangerous overreach'

The nation's top cop asked for police to be given sweeping new powers in an effort to stamp out serious crimes we "cannot see".

Finn McHugh - March 10, 2021

The nation's top police officer has warned law enforcement "cannot see" some forms of serious crime, as he pushed for sweeping surveillance powers human rights groups call a "dangerous overreach".

Representatives of the Australian Federal Police and Home Affairs Department fronted a senate inquiry on Wednesday into a bill to drastically expand law enforcement's online surveillance powers.

A federal government proposal aimed at tackling serious online crime would allow police to apply for three new warrants, giving them the power take over a suspect's accounts and delete or modify data.

AFP commissioner Reece Kershaw said police powers had failed to adapt to the advent of the dark web and anonymising technology, saying law enforcement had "one hand tied behind our back" online.

"Criminals should not be able to conduct serious crimes online and get away with it just because our laws have not kept pace with changes in technology," he said.

Mr Kershaw warned young people were being drawn to extremist ideology online, often using encrypted platforms.

"We are observing their behaviour escalate unpredictably and sometimes quickly. That makes us very concerned about the behaviour we cannot see," he said.

But the Human Rights Law Centre (HRLC) lashed the proposal as a "dangerous overreach", arguing it could be used to target journalists and whistleblowers.

"Surveillance powers intrude on people's privacy and have a chilling effect on the exercise of political rights," HRLC senior lawyer Kieran Pender said.

Any crime punishable by a sentence of three years or more could be targeted under the bill, which Mr Pender said could include a range of less serious offences.

"(Home Affairs Minister Peter) Dutton has said the powers granted by the bill are intended only to be used in cases of the most severe wrongdoing," he said.

"But the bill is drafted so broadly it overreaches far beyond what could be considered legitimate."

The committee heard offences punishable by a three-year sentence included capturing a dolphin, not complying with health orders, and social security fraud.

The Law Council of Australia's Jacoba Brasch said it was "difficult to reconcile" those offences with the bill's stated aim of targeting the most serious crimes, including terrorism and child exploitation.

But Mr Kershaw defended the bill, arguing organised crime gangs could be dismantled by "attacking their outer perimeter", including less serious crimes.

AFP deputy commissioner Ian McCartney said crime gangs were often "not focused on one particular form" of crime.

"The syndicates that we investigate are involved in a range of criminality, and we need the flexibility in the legislation to apply to those types of groups," he said.

Labor home affairs spokeswoman Kristina Keneally raised concerns the bill could be weaponised in the future.

"What safeguards can you point me to, other than the good intentions of government, that would assure this committee that these warrants would not be used for other types of crime ... considered by the community to be lower-level offences?" she asked.

Mr McCartney said the AFP would necessarily target the most serious of crimes given budgetary constraints.

WHAT THE LAWS DO

The bill would give law enforcement the power to seek three new warrants. They include:

- Account takeover warrants, including the power take control of a suspects' online accounts. This would require a magistrate's approval

- Data disruption warrants, empowering law enforcement to delete, modify or disrupt data

- Network activity warrants, enabling intelligence on serious online criminal networks to be collected.

An Administrative Appeals Tribunal judge or member would be required to sign off on the latter two.

https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/technology/online/afp-pushes-for-sweeping-powers-lashed-as-dangerous-overreach/news-story/21561ff1fd773d56ef0d8584c4f5a85e

#13164482 at 2021-03-06 21:23:35 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #14 - THE ART OF WAR Edition

#13 - Part 4
Australian Government Sexual Assault Allegations
>>12941464 Brittany Higgins' Federal Parliament rape claim roils Australian government
>>12941507 Scott Morrison 'distressed' by Brittany Higgins' alleged rape
>>12941532 Brittany Higgins alleged rape: Parliament office steam cleaned after alleged attack
>>12996560 PDF: Ex-Liberal staffer Brittany Higgins takes rape complaint to AFP
>>13002303 Police investigating cocaine sex scandal allegations implicating Labor NT members
>>13002303 Sexism and harassment: Dirty habits of Australian politicians revealed by insider
>>13003107 New allegations: former Liberal adviser 'raped' second woman
>>13016686 Third woman alleges sex assault by staffer as Brittany Higgins to make formal statement to police
>>13020751 Video: Fourth woman makes complaint about former staffer who allegedly raped Brittany Higgins
>>13029324 'Not a nice person': Man accused of Parliament rape stood down from current job

>>13036188 Linda Reynolds admitted to hospital, cancels Press Club appearance in the wake of Parliament House rape allegation scandal
>>13036769 Video: Brittany Higgins makes formal police complaint about alleged rape at Parliament House
>>13037448 (2018) Embattled NSW Greens MP Jeremy Buckingham demands federal leader Richard Di Natale back down on calls for him to resign amid "sexual violence" allegations
>>13043731 AFP Commissioner Reece Kershaw writes to Scott Morrison to warn against delays in reporting allegations of criminal conduct
>>13050373 Video: Rape scandal tensions boil over - Greens Senator Larissa Waters accuses Peter Dutton of being a 'rape apologist'
>>13050955 Scott Morrison, senators and AFP told of historical rape allegation against Cabinet Minister
>>13058821 Video: Senator Simon Birmingham says allegation in letter accusing Cabinet Minister of rape should be left to police
>>13065461 Penny Wong says she met woman who accused minister of rape
>>13065660 Rape revelations lay bare the Canberra bubble's dark heart
>>13076739 Federal Labor MP accused of rape in new email sent to Liberal senator Sarah Henderson and forwarded to Australian Federal Police

>>13076849 Former Coalition media adviser Rachelle Miller prepares workplace lawsuit against two cabinet ministers, Alan Tudge and Michaelia Cash
>>13083780 Photo emerges of alleged rape victim and minister on night of claimed incident
>>13083804 NSW Police close investigation into historical rape allegation against federal Cabinet Minister
>>13084897 NSW police rape case closure means there is clear precedent on how to behave
>>13084918 Cabinet Minister at the centre of historical rape allegation to break silence
>>13100741 Video: Attorney-General Christian Porter steps forward as Cabinet Minister accused of historical rape - 7NEWS Australia
>>13100750 Video: Attorney-General Christian Porter denies historical rape allegation (full press conference) - SBS News
>>13107252 Lawyers for Brittany Higgins serve defamation letters to Linda Reynolds after 'lying cow' comment
>>13107256 Defence Minister Linda Reynolds 'deeply sorry' for calling Brittany Higgins a 'lying cow'
>>13107413 Sex discrimination commissioner Kate Jenkins to lead independent inquiry into Parliament House culture following Brittany Higgins allegations

#13083804 at 2021-03-02 04:48:16 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #13 - THE WAR IS REAL Edition

>>13050955
NSW Police close investigation into historical rape allegation against federal Cabinet Minister

Jade Macmillan - 2 March 2021

New South Wales Police say their investigation into a historical rape allegation against a federal Cabinet Minister is now closed.

An anonymous letter, sent to several members of Parliament, alleged a woman was raped when she was a teenager in 1988 by a man who is now a Minister in the federal government.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison said the Minister "absolutely rejects" the allegation.

In a statement, NSW Police said the woman contacted officers in 2019 but did not detail her allegation in a formal statement before taking her own life last year.

Police said they sought legal advice after receiving a document "purportedly made by the woman" before she died.

However, they said there was "insufficient admissible evidence" to proceed, and that the matter was now closed.

Earlier, Australian Federal Police Commissioner Reece Kershaw had said his counterpart in New South Wales was seeking legal advice about the allegation.

Politicians who received the letter last week, including Mr Morrison and Labor's leader in the Senate Penny Wong, referred the allegation to the AFP.

However the AFP said it did not have jurisdiction over the matter.

The NSW Police investigation was suspended after the woman took her life in June las year.

Separately, police in South Australia are preparing a report into her death for the coroner.

Before the NSW Police announcement, Commissioner Kershaw was asked on Nine Radio about the challenges police would face, given the woman had died.

"It's very problematic and it's something the New South Wales Commissioner has talked to me about, about him seeking further legal advice in relation to that matter," he told Nine Radio.

"And that's something that myself and the South Australian Police Commissioner will be discussing.

"Just to clarify … the AFP's role is to liaise and support and provide whatever advice those jurisdictions need in this matter."

AFP to contact man accused of Brittany Higgins assault

Commissioner Kershaw was also asked about a separate allegation, made by former Liberal staffer Brittany Higgins, who says she was raped by a colleague at Parliament House in 2019.

She made a formal complaint to the AFP last week and Commissioner Kershaw said officers would be speaking to the accused man.

"That's a process that we're going through now, and obviously we'll be making contact with that individual at the appropriate time," he said.

"It's in the hands of our ACT Policing, what we call our Sexual Assault Child Abuse taskforce, which are experienced in these matters.

"And they'll be working with no doubt NSW Police and other partner agencies in relation to this."

Ms Higgins originally met with the AFP shortly after the alleged incident but asked officers not to pursue an investigation in April 2019.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-03-02/nsw-police-close-investigation-into-historical-rape-allegation/13206372

#13083788 at 2021-03-02 04:45:59 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #13 - THE WAR IS REAL Edition

>>13083780

2/2

RAPE INVESTIGATION AFTER VICTIM HAS PASSED

Legal sources in South Australia have told news.com.au that a coronial inquiry cannot be conducted into the woman's death in Adelaide until police had completed their own investigation.

The NSW police declared the "case closed" today in a statement following legal advice based on insufficient evidence to proceed.

"In November 2019, a woman then aged 48, attended an Adelaide (South Australia) police station seeking advice about reporting historical sexual offences, which allegedly occurred in 1988 in Sydney (New South Wales),'' it states.

"The matter was then referred to the NSW Police Force and an investigation by the Child Abuse and Sex Crimes Squad commenced under Strike Force Wyndarra.

"NSW Police Force has been the lead agency in respect to this investigation since February 2020.

"For various reasons, the woman did not detail her allegations in a formal statement to NSW Police.

"The woman passed away in June 2020.

"Following the woman's death, NSW Police came into possession of a personal document purportedly made by the woman previously.

"NSW Police have since sought legal advice in relation to these matters.

"Based on information provided to NSW Police, there is insufficient admissible evidence to proceed.

"As such, NSW Police Force has determined the matter is now closed."

Mr Morrison said he first heard about the complaint letter on Wednesday evening and spoke to the accused man and the AFP commissioner that same night.

"Did I raise it? Yes, I did. And he vigorously and completely denied the allegations,'' the Prime Minister said.

Asked if he believed the denials, Mr Morrison said "I am not the police commissioner". He said it was a matter for police.

The Prime Minister confirmed he had also discussed the matter with the AFP commissioner Reece Kershaw.

"And in my discussions with the Commissioner, there was nothing immediate that he considered that was necessary for me to take any action on,'' he said.

https://www.news.com.au/national/politics/photo-emerges-of-alleged-rape-victim-and-minister-on-night-of-claimed-incident/news-story/b4cec5893213beea0d67967075284bbf

#13076739 at 2021-03-01 05:05:49 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #13 - THE WAR IS REAL Edition

>>12941464
Labor MP accused of rape in new email

David Crowe - February 28, 2021

A federal Labor MP has been accused of rape in a new email sent to a Liberal senator and forwarded to the Australian Federal Police, intensifying claims on both sides of politics about sexual assault.

Victorian Liberal senator Sarah Henderson said a woman sent her the email on Sunday alleging the rape by a man who is now a Labor MP in federal Parliament.

The email comes after an anonymous letter on Friday about an alleged rape in 1988 by a man who is now in federal cabinet, which followed two weeks of debate over allegations by former Liberal adviser Brittany Higgins that she was raped by a colleague in a federal minister's office.

Labor leader Anthony Albanese was aware of Senator Henderson's claim but his office said he did not receive the email.

Senator Henderson would not name the Labor MP concerned and responded to questions by referring to a written statement she issued shortly before 6pm on Sunday.

"Late this afternoon, I forwarded to the Australian Federal Police an email I received this afternoon from a woman alleging she had been raped by a man who is now a federal Labor member of Parliament," she said.

Senator Henderson cited advice from Australian Federal Police commissioner Reece Kershaw telling MPs to go to police with any allegations of sexual assault.

"In immediately referring this matter to the AFP, I have followed procedures set out by Commissioner Kershaw in his letter of 24 February 2021," she said. "I make this statement in the interests of full transparency."

Mr Albanese's office said it had not received the email on Sunday nor in recent days.

"The Australian Labor Party has seen media reports that Senator Henderson has received an allegation of sexual assault and has referred any relevant correspondence to authorities as is appropriate," the spokesperson said.

The AFP confirmed it received a complaint on Sunday "relating to an historic sexual assault" but said it would not comment further.

https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/labor-mp-accused-of-rape-in-new-email-20210228-p576kq.html

https://twitter.com/SenSHenderson/status/1365919395051040768

#13065665 at 2021-02-28 03:28:04 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #13 - THE WAR IS REAL Edition

>>13065660

2/3

For good or ill, Higgins' claims were revealed in a carefully orchestrated media barrage which coincided with the first day of a parliamentary sitting fortnight. Central in these arrangements was Higgins' partner David Sharaz, a former SBS and Sky News journalist. Sharaz and Higgins cannot be criticised for choosing to deal with the issue and the media in this way. But it is reasonable to expect that journalists would be more open about the way this unfolded.

The context is important and would have been known by most of the gallery. Sharaz, who was a work colleague of mine for a time at Sky, discussed his role with me this week.

He and Higgins spent a month compiling and planning the revelations and chose to take the initial story to Lisa Wilkinson at Channel 10 and Samantha Maiden at news.com.au. Other media, including senior gallery reporters at the ABC and commercial media, were provided with a dossier, including a timeline, lists of people who were aware of the allegations, photos of Higgins with politicians, suggested events where networks might find video footage of her in their files, notes about meetings, and copies of emails, texts and other relevant communications.

The inescapable and presumably intended takeout from the dossier is that much was known by many and not enough was done. Yet this overlooks the crucial reality that until two weeks ago, Higgins demanded privacy and, although she met with police, had chosen not to pursue action.

Higgins and Sharaz wanted to ensure that journalists had supporting materials for these explosive revelations, and did not want to be overwhelmed with queries. Sharaz knew what it was like to open up; in 2018, he detailed personal traumas and mental health issues in The Canberra Times and espoused the benefits of confronting them publicly.

This background helps to explain how, seemingly out of the blue, a young woman's rape allegation became the dominant media and political issue of a sitting period in Canberra. Sharaz seems genuinely shocked at how all-consuming the controversy has become - and if he is surprised, then it must be worse for Higgins.

Their efforts have flushed out more information; journalists have probed other aspects of the case and brought to light crucial new facts, such as the repercussions among security staff and the prompt cleaning of the office. One concern will be whether the publicity compromises the investigative and judicial processes, a concern raised obliquely by AFP Commissioner Reece Kershaw in his letter to the Prime Minister on Thursday.

The most important step in this case came on Wednesday when Higgins met with the AFP to reactivate an investigation. On the same day, her former employer, Defence Minister Linda Reynolds, was hospitalised just hours before she was due to appear at the National Press Club, where she would have been questioned about the episode.

On April 1, 2019, nine days after the alleged crime, Higgins told Reynolds she was raped in her office. The alleged victim declined to pursue police action and asked for privacy, yet Reynolds has been widely criticised for not reporting the episode to others, including the Prime Minister.

This seems an extraordinary attack - to condemn someone for respecting the wishes of an alleged rape victim. The presumption of the media and political attack has been that a crime was committed, and it was not taken seriously enough.

On the ABC on Tuesday night, Leigh Sales asked Social Services Minister Anne Ruston: "Are you seriously saying if a serious crime was committed in your office in Parliament House that you wouldn't think that you were obliged to tell the Prime Minister?" The following night she asked the government's Senate leader, Simon Birmingham: "As a minister, if a criminal incident took place in your office, would you feel it your obligation to inform the Prime Minister?"

Such questioning either deliberately or unthinkingly ignores how the alleged victim had decided not to pursue police action - so there was no "crime" as such - and had understandably requested confidentiality. Under these circumstances, Reynolds could not have referred this ­matter to anyone.

The alleged perpetrator had lost his job for other, related reasons. Higgins' employment was continued and progressed.

(continued)

#13065548 at 2021-02-28 03:09:56 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #13 - THE WAR IS REAL Edition

>>13065535

2/2

Currently, Facebook and other providers have programs to find and prevent child exploitation on its platforms, from scanning private messages to acting on referrals from law enforcement and other social media sites.

In Australia, this has led to more than 20,000 reports of ­potential child abuse, and in Britain about 3000 at-risk children are reported each year. At a British House of Commons parliamentary committee hearing in January, Facebook's lead policy manager, Monika Bickert, admitted the consequence of Facebook "going dark" would "lead to the continued exploitation of some British children it would otherwise help to safeguard".

Bickert said: "We want to make sure that we are providing an experience that keeps people safe, especially for the crimes that are most at home, and most serious to them." She added that a survey in the UK showed adults said that "the crimes online that are most concerning to them are data loss and hacking".

British MPs said United States crime figures on missing children suggested at least 70 per cent of reports from Facebook would go, and Bickert said if "Facebook can't see it - it can't report it".

Peter Dutton, as the minister responsible for the Australian Federal Police, said this week the "the number of reports would drop from 20,000 to a dozen". The Home Affairs Minister, and counterparts from the US, the UK, Canada and New Zealand, as well as global forums against child sex abuse have been campaigning for three years to get Facebook to not allow encryption and to continue to ­report suspicious activity.

Unlike the media code laws now in place in Australia, governments can't pass legislation to force Facebook to give them the data or continue reporting abuse. This is where moral suasion, public outcry and consumer pressure are the obvious alternatives to government pleas that Facebook is essentially ignoring.

At the end of a week when Facebook was brought to heel after recognising the damage to its reputation and commercial model, it is the best time to offer Facebook the opportunity to redeem some of its lost reputation and social licence based on its ­signalling about caring for people before profits.

As Dutton told Inquirer: "Mark Zuckerberg would not tolerate sexual assault of women in his workplace and yet he is preparing to hide the sexual assault of children on his platform. This is a crucial point. Australians had a taste of Zuckerberg's decisions putting profit above people, and even more grotesquely the potential to protect criminals who exploit and abuse our children."

Australian Federal Police Commissioner Reece Kershaw has started a campaign to get parents to not turn away from the risk of child sexual abuse and be aware of what happens on popular social media platforms.

"As a country, we need to be more outraged about those who produce and distribute child exploitation material, and we need to be better engaged when the inevitable debate arises with Facebook and other platforms when they move to end-to-end encryption," he said late last year.

"To put it simply, when these platforms move to end-to-end encryption, the job becomes harder for police to catch predators.

"And I say this to those who argue that moving towards end-to-end encryption is the privacy they need and deserve, I challenge you to explain that to a child who has been tortured, exploited and repeatedly abused for the gratification of others; explain to that victim that they may never get justice because technology has been designed to keep the identity of their monster a secret."

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/inquirer/the-facebook-outrage-thats-far-far-worse/news-story/6027b6c9ef6b30063cc7b2404f037470

#13058821 at 2021-02-27 05:58:48 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #13 - THE WAR IS REAL Edition

>>13050955
Senator Simon Birmingham says allegation in letter accusing Cabinet Minister of rape should be left to police

Stephanie Dalzell and Matthew Doran - 27 February 2021

Federal government frontbencher Simon Birmingham does not believe one of his Cabinet colleagues should step aside, after a letter accused an unnamed government Minister of allegedly raping a woman more than 30 years ago.

The ABC's Four Corners yesterday revealed Australian Federal Police had been notified of an anonymous letter sent to Prime Minister Scott Morrison detailing an alleged historical rape by a Cabinet Minister in the federal government.

The letter requests urgent action be taken by the Prime Minister to investigate the allegations which are alleged to have occurred in 1988 before the accused man entered politics.

Senator Birmingham was repeatedly asked at a press conference in Adelaide on Saturday whether the accused man should be identified to protect the rest of the government.

"Everybody is entitled to natural justice and it's important to back the police to do their job," he said.

"We back the police to do their job in this and every other instance.

"I don't wish to see anybody lose their rights to natural justice."

The Prime Minister's Office said any allegations of sexual assault needed to be referred to the Australian Federal Police.

"As per the AFP Commissioner's instruction, any complaints or allegations of this nature made to anybody - whether they're parliamentarians or journalists - should be referred to the AFP."

The letter was forwarded to AFP Commissioner Reece Kershaw by Labor's Leader in the Senate Penny Wong and Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young.

Four Corners understands Commissioner Kershaw has briefed South Australia Police and NSW Police.

In a statement, the AFP said it had received a complaint relating to a historical sexual assault and would liaise with the relevant state authorities.

The woman reported the allegation to New South Wales Police in February last year, triggering an investigation.

But four months later, she informed NSW Police that she no longer wished to proceed.

The following day, she took her own life.

Senator Birmingham was asked whether the accused Minister should stand aside from Cabinet while the matter is being investigated.

"I'm not sure then how you think it would be resolved thereafter," he said.

"I think we have to respect that we have justice systems in Australia, that everyone is entitled to natural justice and that in this case, if allegations have been made, as I understand from media reports they have been, we have to back the appropriate authorities, the police, to do everything they can to investigate, and to their satisfaction determine the appropriate course forward free of any political interference or direction."

Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young implored the Prime Minister to act, after speaking to Commissioner Kershaw on Friday.

"It is only right that the Prime Minister makes sure that this isn't swept under the carpet, and that he acts to ensure the integrity of his government," she said.

"We can't have a situation where such an horrific allegation of rape is levelled against a senior member of his government and no-one does anything."

Political activists need to take 'long, hard look at themselves'

In a separate issue, Senator Birmingham hit out at the treatment he said his Liberal colleague Nicolle Flint had been subjected to by her political opponents during her time in office.

Ms Flint announced late on Friday she would not contest the next election, after two terms as the Member for Boothby in Adelaide's south.

She has previously spoken out about threatening behaviour she had experienced, with her office being vandalised and at one stage calling police to investigate a stalker.

"I think candidates across the spectrum who go out and strongly put their views are often the subject of increased attack from some of those who disagree with those views," Senator Birmingham said.

"Nicolle, because of her views that she put forward, became a particular target for certain green and left activists out there who really targeted her with hatred and with a sense of venom, that undermined her sense of safety.

"Those people ought to take a good, long, hard look at themselves and think about what they have done, and the way they have undermined the confidence that people have to engage in politics in this country."

Senator Birmingham said the behaviour was a blight on politics as a whole, not just harming the prospects of one party.

"To all of those who spew hatred and venom online, if you think that's going to help attract better people into politics - think again, because it doesn't, it makes it harder."

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-02-27/birmingham-says-cabinet-rape-allegation-should-be-left-to-police/13199854

#13050955 at 2021-02-26 08:09:06 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #13 - THE WAR IS REAL Edition

>>12941464
Scott Morrison, senators and AFP told of historical rape allegation against Cabinet Minister

Louise Milligan - 26 February 2021

1/2

Australian Federal Police have been notified of a letter sent to Prime Minister Scott Morrison detailing an alleged historical rape by a Cabinet Minister in the federal government.

The letter requests urgent action be taken by the Prime Minister to investigate the alleged rape, which occurred in 1988 before the accused man entered politics.

The matter has also been referred to the Australian Federal Police.

The letter was forwarded to AFP Commissioner Reece Kershaw by Labor's Leader in the Senate, Penny Wong, and Greens Senator Hanson-Young, who were also recipients of the letter.

Four Corners understands that Commissioner Kershaw has briefed South Australia Police and NSW Police.

The letter, shared with Four Corners by a friend of the complainant, attaches a detailed statement prepared by the complainant for her lawyer about the brutal rape she alleges took place.

NSW Police set up strike force

Last year, NSW Police set up a strike force with a view to commencing an investigation into the historical allegations about the Cabinet Minister after the woman came forward.

Strike Force Wyndarra was established by police after she reported in Sydney in February 2020 to detectives from the NSW Police Child Abuse and Sex Crimes Squad that she had been raped by the man.

The woman had engaged a lawyer and told many friends about the allegation, but took her own life in June last year.

In a statement today to Four Corners, Ms Hanson-Young said: "This morning I received information regarding a disturbing and a very serious allegation of a criminal nature against a senior member of the government.

"Following the advice given to the Prime Minister by the AFP Commissioner this week, I have spoken with the Police Commissioner today, who is now taking steps in relation to this information."

Senator Wong told Four Corners in a statement today that she had notified NSW, SA Police and the AFP, and would assist in any investigations.

"I have also written to the Prime Minister and Senator Hanson-Young to outline the steps I have taken, following receipt of this anonymous letter," Senator Wong said.

"It is my hope that appropriate action is taken to examine the allegation."

South Australia Police are investigating the circumstances of the woman's death for the State Coroner.

Four Corners has seen the woman's statement and has spoken to many friends of the complainant whom she told about what she alleged took place and who knew her at the time of the alleged incident.

The letter urges the Prime Minister to set up an independent parliamentary investigation into the matter, similar to that commissioned by the High Court into allegations against former Justice, Dyson Heydon.

"When news of [the complainant's alleged] rape becomes widely known to the public (as it most likely will), legitimate questions will be asked as to who knew what, when they knew and what they did," the correspondent wrote.

"This is occurring today in relation to Brittany Higgins.

"In [the complainant's] case, the loss of respect for our political institutions will be exacerbated by the aggravating factor of [the accused perpetrator's seniority].

"There will be considerable damage to community perceptions of justice… and the parliament when this story becomes public if it is simultaneously revealed that senior people (like yourselves) were aware of the accusation but had done nothing…

"Failing to take parliamentary action because the NSW Police cannot take criminal action [due to the complainant's death] would seem like wilful blindness."

Wong, Turnbull also made aware of allegations

Senator Wong, who was made aware of limited detail surrounding the woman's allegation last year by the complainant herself, made a statement to South Australia Police when she discovered the complainant had died.

The woman had also written in 2019 to former prime minister Malcolm Turnbull, and he too wrote to South Australia Police with his knowledge of the allegations upon learning of her death.

South Australia Police had originally referred the woman to their NSW counterparts because she alleged the incident occurred in Sydney. SA Police are currently preparing a report into the circumstances of her death for the State's Coroner, including her early release from a psychiatric institution in Melbourne.

The Coroner will then determine whether to conduct a public inquest into her death.

(continued)

#13043731 at 2021-02-25 06:54:15 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #13 - THE WAR IS REAL Edition

>>12941464
AFP writes to Scott Morrison to warn against delays in reporting allegations of criminal conduct

The letter from the Australian Federal Police commissioner comes in the wake of sexual assault allegations made by former Liberal staffer Brittany Higgins.

TOM STAYNER - 25 February 2021

Australian Federal Police Commissioner Reece Kershaw has written to Prime Minister Scott Morrison, warning that allegations of criminal conduct should be reported without delay.

His letter comes in the wake of serious allegations made by former Liberal staffer Brittany Higgins, who says she was raped inside Parliament House in March 2019.

The Morrison government has been sharply criticised for its handling of the allegations, including apparent failures to report the accusations to Mr Morrison.

"I cannot state strongly enough the importance of timely referrals of allegations of criminal conduct," Mr Kershaw said.

"Failure to report alleged criminal behaviour in this manner, or choosing to communicate or disseminate allegations via other means, such as through the media or third parties, risks prejudicing any subsequent police investigation.

"Any delay in reporting criminal conduct can result in the loss of key evidence, continuation of the offending and/or reoffending by the alleged perpetrator."

Ms Higgins chose not to take a complaint over the alleged incident further with police at the time over concerns this would impact her career.

Mr Kershaw said members, senators and their offices should refer any such matters referred to them "taking into account the rights and privacy of the victim".

A spokesperson for the Prime Minister says he requested the letter from the AFP commissioner so guidance could be provided to MPs and Senators.

Mr Morrison has also written to the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the Senate President asking for Commissioner Kershaw's advice to be circulated among politicians.

"As we all appreciate, these are serious and traumatic events for anyone to deal with," he said.

"The events of the past fortnight have demonstrated why it is so important that all Members and Senators are informed of their responsibilities in these situations, both to provide compassionate support to those who are affected and to ensure that we uphold the rule of law in dealing with these issues."

A number of federal government ministers were aware of the allegations before they were made public last week.

Ms Higgins's employer at the time of the alleged rape, Defence Minister Linda Reynolds, has since apologised over her handling of the alleged incident.

She says she encouraged Ms Higgins to go to the police when she learned of the alleged crime - as does Ms Higgins' next boss Michaelia Cash.

Mr Morrison has consistently said his office first knew of the allegation on 12 February but his staff then took almost three days to notify him.

He has expressed disappointment that cabinet ministers did not notify him about the alleged incident earlier.

Ms Higgins has since reinstated her formal police complaint over the alleged incident.

https://www.sbs.com.au/news/afp-writes-to-scott-morrison-to-warn-against-delays-in-reporting-allegations-of-criminal-conduct

#12076417 at 2020-12-18 07:50:05 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #11 - THE SILENT WAR CONTINUES Edition

#11 - Part 11
Child Exploitation, Pedophilia, Sexual Abuse and Human Trafficking Investigations - Part 2
>>11804416 Paedophile priest Michael Glennon's Aboriginal victims sue Pope Francis over church's failures
>>11804525 DPP wins appeal against inadequate sentence handed to paedophile Hamzeh Bahrami, sparking South Australian law reform
>>11810459 Melbourne Orthodox Jewish Yeshivah Centre abuse victim 'will drop $2.5 million lawsuit if apology made'
>>11815619 Video: Operation Arkstone update: Additional NSW arrest in large-scale investigation into child sex offender network
>>11872246 Australian Federal Police to be given unprecedented authority to launch cyber attacks on dark web pedophiles, terrorists and drug-traffickers under new laws
>>11899250 Tasmanian man charged over alleged importation of dozens of child-like sex doll parts
>>11932212 Video: Sydney man jailed for livestreaming sexual abuse of a Filipino child
>>11932237 (2019) AFP investigation in Sydney and Philippines leads to rescue of a girl

>>11932345 Exploited, mistreated and threatened, all for less than $10 an hour - Human trafficking-style network feeding international workers to Australian farms
>>11932492 Former Big Brother and Family Court psychologist Bob Montgomery sentenced to four years in prison for historic child sex offences
>>11936928 Alan Jones refuses to deny having sex with schoolboys when he was a teacher in defamation case against the SBS
>>11945497 Australian Federal Police seize home of pedophile using proceeds-of-crime laws in "aggressive" new strategy to target assets of child sex offenders
>>11945515 Statement from AFP Commissioner Reece Kershaw - Operation Tatsuta - 'I make no apologies for using the full force of the law to prosecute, disrupt and deter those who target our children'
>>11946365 North East Lincolnshire man, David Wilson sentenced to seven years jail for historic child sex offences after being extradited from Queensland, Australia
>>11947028 Richard George Aldinger: Sydney man jailed for Philippines child sex abuse videos
>>11960473 Video: Child abuse victim Avri Sapir says porn website Pornhub profited from her child rape - Ginger Gorman - news.com.au

>>11960489 Ginger Gorman Tweet: In case you are interested, these are the questions Pornhub did not answer about child sex exploitation on their site
>>11960719 Etsy seller providing childlike sex dolls modelled off 14-year-old Instagram star, Border Force reveal spike in products being sent to Australia
>>11960845 Video: Supermarkets, retailers uncover modern slavery throughout supply chains - human trafficking, slavery, forced labour and debt bondage in Australia and overseas
>>11964350 Entering the grimy world of the dark web: new legislation to combat dark web criminals - Rachael Falk - theaustralian.com.au
>>11978894 Video: Federal Government urged to close loopholes to ensure Australian children are protected playing sport
>>11978972 Almost 200 allegations against Victorian teachers reported to education regulator in 2019-20, including claims of physical and sexual misconduct
>>11979791 Depraved, defiant Queensland father sentenced for nine-year incestuous sexual abuse of teen daughter
>>12048190 Survivors reflect on Australia sex abuse inquiry, three years on

#11959941 at 2020-12-09 06:53:01 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #11 - THE SILENT WAR CONTINUES Edition

Parliamentary inquiry to examine extremism in Australia amid increasing far-right threat

The parliamentary joint committee on intelligence and security is set to examine extremist movements in Australia, including the rising threat posed by right-wing extremism.

An inquiry into extremism in Australia will go ahead following a push by Labor for the government to look at the rising threat specifically posed by right-wing extremists.

However, the inquiry will look at all forms of extremism in Australia, not just the increased threat posed by the far-right.

The parliamentary joint committee on intelligence and security has signed off on an inquiry to examine the concerns following a referral from Minister for Home Affairs Peter Dutton.

This comes after vocal demands from Labor's Home Affairs spokesperson Kristina Keneally for parliament to examine Australia's preparedness against the increasing threat presented by right-wing extremism.

Senator Keneally said she welcomed the government's move to back the inquiry.

"The emerging threat of right-wing extremism demands that we take seriously the advice of our national security agencies," she told reporters in Canberra.

"And that we as a parliament take seriously our ability to keep Australia safe."

Committee chair and Liberal MP Andrew Hastie said the committee would examine the nature, extent and threat posed by extremist movements and persons holding extremist views in Australia.

This includes examining the motivations, objectives and capacity for violence of extremist groups including - but not limited to - Islamist and right-wing extremist groups.

It will also look at how these have changed during the COVID-19 pandemic amid warnings far-right groups have attempted to exploit the crisis to recruit new members and push its ideology.

The committee will also review the geographic spread of extremists in Australia and their links with international organisations.

Another focus will be examining possible changes that could be made to the Commonwealth's terrorist listing laws to address current and emerging terrorist threats.

Labor MP Anne Aly said it was important the differences between right-wing extremism and other forms were recognised.

"We know right-wing extremist groups [are] a real threat to Australia," Dr Aly told reporters.

"We know that there are young people who are being radicalised here."

Amid these concerns, the inquiry will review the role of social media, encrypted communications platforms and the dark web in allowing extremists to communicate online.

It will also examine the readiness of Australia's counter-terrorism strategy to prevent radicalisation to extremist views and what steps could be taken to disrupt and deter hate speech.

The rising right-wing extremist threat

Australia remains the only country within the five eyes intelligence network to so far avoid listing any right-wing extremist groups as banned terrorist organisations.

However, the Australian Security and Intelligence Organisation recently said up to 40 per cent of its counterterrorism caseload had become linked to right-wing extremism.

Australian Federal Police Commissioner Reece Kershaw has also identified a "steady increase" in operations directed towards right-wing extremism.

An 18-year-old NSW man espousing neo-Nazi and other right-wing extremist was also arrested on Wednesday after allegedly encouraging a mass casualty terrorist attack.

He had been communicating on social media platforms, most of which were mainstream, about various extremist issues and had accessed material on bomb-making.

https://www.sbs.com.au/news/parliamentary-inquiry-to-examine-extremism-in-australia-amid-increasing-far-right-threat

#11945515 at 2020-12-08 04:59:25 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #11 - THE SILENT WAR CONTINUES Edition

>>11945497
Statement from AFP Commissioner Reece Kershaw

I outlined in September this year that under my leadership, the Australian Federal Police (AFP) would take a more aggressive strategy to fight the insidious crime of child sexual abuse and exploitation.

Today, I can reveal the AFP-led Criminal Assets Confiscation Taskforce (CACT) on 13 November restrained the Adelaide home of a man accused of ordering and instructing live-distance child abuse that he watched online.

The man, who is facing numerous criminal charges, is accused of communicating with people in South East Asia to procure several children so he could watch them being sexually abused.

Essentially, he is accused of pay-per-view child exploitation.

This is the first time the AFP has restrained the home of an alleged child sex offender, who is not accused of profiting from his crimes, but of allegedly using his property to commit serious offences.

This significant civil action by the CACT should be a warning to anyone who preys on children.

Should the CACT be successful in court, and orders are made to confiscate the man's home, the proceeds of the sale of the home will be redistributed to support crime prevention and other community initiatives, including those which protect our children.

The Commonwealth's proceeds of crime laws are a powerful tool to target serious criminality. They have been used to restrain, and then ultimately confiscate the homes, goods and cash of outlaw motorcycle gangs, serious organised crime syndicates and drug dealers.

Committing sexual acts against children, and viewing and producing child exploitation material is a serious crime. If the homes of drug dealers are confiscated, so should the property of child sex offenders.

In principle there should be no difference in the application of these laws.

The investigation into the man's alleged criminal activity began in February 2020 when Australian Border Force (ABF) officers examined his baggage when he arrived on a flight into Melbourne from Singapore.

The ABF allegedly found child abuse material on his iPhone and referred the matter to the AFP. The man was charged for possessing the illegal content.

The case was allocated to the South Australia Joint Anti Child Exploitation Team (SA JACET), the specialist taskforce comprising AFP and South Australia Police officers who investigate child exploitation offences in SA.

The man was arrested and charged with further offences in April 2020. He has not yet entered a plea to the criminal charges and is next expected to appear in court in 2021.

Just last month, the CACT restrained the assets of a Belgian tourist who bankrolled his Australian holiday by selling online child sex abuse material. Two bank accounts; one in Australia holding about $16,400, and another in Germany holding ?8000; plus camera equipment, a drone and scuba diving gear, with a combined estimated worth of AUD$30,000; were restrained in the Supreme Court of NSW.

The prevalence of child exploitation is a serious concern for law enforcement.

The average number of images seized when an offender is arrested has been steadily increasing. In the early-to-mid 2000s, a child sex offender had about 1000 images, now it's between 10,000 to 80,000 images and videos. This is not a victimless crime.

Every child being abused online is someone's son or daughter and should not be treated as a commodity for the abhorrent gratification of others.

As the Commissioner of the AFP, I make no apologies for using the full force of the law to prosecute, disrupt and deter those who target our children, whether in Australia or abroad.

This year alone, the AFP has charged 160 alleged offenders with 1282 offences and removed 106 children from harm, in Australia and overseas.

To parents, grandparents and caregivers, please know the AFP will never give up in the relentless fight to keep children and the community safe.

For more information and tips on how to keep children safe online visit accce.gov.au and thinkuknow.org.au

http://accce.gov.au/

http://thinkuknow.org.au/

https://www.afp.gov.au/news-media/media-releases/statement-afp-commissioner-Reece-Kershaw

#11945497 at 2020-12-08 04:57:50 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #11 - THE SILENT WAR CONTINUES Edition

Police seize home of pedophile

The home of an accused pedophile has been restrained for the first time using proceeds-of-crime laws, in an "aggressive" new federal police strategy to target the assets of child sex ­offenders.

The $300,000 Adelaide home was restrained in the ­Supreme Court of South Australia in a case that is unique ­because the alleged offender is not accused of profiting from crimes against children.

Instead, police are attempting to confiscate the home on the grounds the man allegedly used the property when he ordered and instructed the abuse of children that he watched live and remotely online.

The man is alleged to have communicated with people in Southeast Asia to procure several children so he could watch them being sexually abused.

He is facing numerous charges, with penalties ranging from 15 to 25 years' imprisonment.

Australian Federal Police Commissioner Reece Kershaw said the AFP-led Criminal ­Assets Confiscation Taskforce restrained the home on November 13. Mr Kershaw had ­announced in September that the homes, cars, cash and other assets of child sex offenders would be ­targeted in a "new and aggressive criminal asset-confiscation ­strategy".

"This is the first time the AFP has restrained the home of an ­alleged child sex offender, who is not accused of profiting from his crimes, but of allegedly using his property to commit serious offences," he said on Monday. "This significant civil action ... should be a warning to anyone who preys on children."

Federal proceeds-of-crime laws allow authorities to restrain a person's property where there are reasonable grounds to suspect they have committed a serious ­offence.

Authorities can seize both proceeds and instruments of crime, using a civil standard of proof that does not require a criminal conviction. The police case is that by allegedly using the privacy and confines of the single-level brick home to commit offences, the property was an instrument in the crimes and could be confiscated.

If the court allows confiscation, the home will be sold and the proceeds will go towards crime prevention and other community initiatives.

"The commonwealth's proceeds-of-crime laws are a powerful tool to target serious criminality," Mr Kershaw said. "They have been used to restrain and then ultimately confiscate the homes, goods and cash of outlaw motorcycle gangs, serious ­organised crime syndicates and drug dealers.

"Committing sexual acts against children, and viewing and producing child exploitation ­material is a serious crime.

"If the homes of drug dealers are confiscated, so should the property of child sex offenders. In principle there should be no ­difference in the application of these laws."

The investigation, Operation Tatsuta, began after Australian Border Force officers examined the man's belongings in Melbourne on his arrival on a flight from Singapore in February.

Child abuse material allegedly discovered on his iPhone was referred to the AFP and the man was charged. The South Australia Joint Anti Child Exploitation Team, comprising federal and state police, charged him with further offences in April. He is due in court again next year and is yet to enter a plea.

Other similar confiscation cases are expected to follow. Mr Kershaw said the AFP had this year charged 160 people with 1282 offences relating to child abuse, and had removed 106 children from harm. The average number of images seized from ­arrested ­offenders was on the rise, he said.

"In the early to mid-2000s, a child sex offender had about 1000 images, now it's between 10,000 to 80,000 images and videos. This is not a victimless crime," he said.

"I make no apologies for using the full force of the law to prosecute, disrupt and deter those who target our children, whether in Australia or abroad."

Federal police recently succeeded in seizing the assets of a Belgian tourist, Bryan Loyson, who paid for his Australian holiday by selling child abuse videos and photos. Two bank accounts, camera equipment, a drone and scuba diving gear, worth a combined $30,000, were restrained in the Supreme Court of NSW by the CACT in October. Final ­orders allowing confiscation were granted on November 30.

Loyson is not connected to the man whose home has been seized.

The CACT is made up of the AFP, Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission, Australian Taxation Office, AUSTRAC, and Australian Border Force.

It restrained more than $250m in assets in Australia and overseas last financial year, the first step in the confiscation process. Proceeds from confiscated and sold assets go into the commonwealth's confiscated assets account, used by the Home ­Affairs Minister to fund law enforcement-related and other community initiatives.

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/police-seize-home-of-pedophile/news-story/7d2feb1da39bec10d30de3101315bb4c

#11536627 at 2020-11-08 05:04:25 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #11 - THE SILENT WAR CONTINUES Edition

>>11536607

3/3

Clive Hamilton, a professor at Charles Sturt University who researches CCP foreign interference, told Guardian Australia: "There's a vast network of United Front and party-linked people throughout the community, particularly in Melbourne, and it's quite dizzying when you look into the linkages.

"The CCP have been building that for a long time, and there's been no resistance. It's only in the last three years really that attention has turned to it."

Both experts agreed - without commenting specifically about Chen - that the creation of seemingly legitimate business empires could be an important cover for anyone acting on behalf of the CCP.

The threat of foreign interference has become a key focus of intelligence and enforcement agencies in the US, UK and Europe, as it became clear that shifting resources to combat terrorism after the September 11 attacks left significant knowledge gaps.

In Australia, the AFP commissioner, Reece Kershaw, has said he plans to expand the joint taskforce, which currently has 65 officers, and would seek to recruit more Mandarin speakers.

Mike Burgess, Asio's director general, told a Senate estimates hearing in October that there were more foreign agents and their proxies operating in Australia than at the height of the cold war, but did not go into further detail, declining to even name the countries responsible.

"The problem is simple. You've got foreign governments who covertly direct people to develop relationships, to try and curry favour, and one day they will call in that favour," he said.

"Some good people may not even understand they have been influenced in a way that is counter to our national interests."

Meanwhile, almost a year after leaving Australia, Chen appears to be back in business.

His website, which was not available for several months after he was publicly outed as a suspected spy, has recently been relaunched.

But there have been some changes: there no longer appears to be any reference to the trillion-dollar Belt and Road Initiative, nor to several projects he claimed to be doing in Portugal.

Entries regarding other potential Prospect Time ventures, the Australian companies GDT and Imunexus, remained.

"Being a responsible corporate citizen, Prospect Time International Investment Ltd assumes an indispensable role in the waste-to-energy industry," the website states.

"Prospect Time is discussing cooperation opportunities as well as joining force [sic] with the renowned Australian recycling and waste to energy recovery company, Green Distillation Technologies Corporation Limited - where Prospect Time's Chairman and Chief Executive, Mr Brian Chen, paid a visit in mid 2017."

Despite Chen and his entourage being told not to take any photos at the Warren plant, he is pictured in a hard hat, standing before the GDT employee who led the tour, listening intently.

https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2020/nov/08/in-plain-sight-how-an-alleged-chinese-spy-tried-to-build-an-australian-business-empire

#11247202 at 2020-10-24 02:51:56 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #10 - INFORMATION WARFARE Edition

AFP restrains assets from a man who sold child abuse material online

A Belgian tourist who bankrolled his Australian holiday by selling online child sex abuse material has had his local and offshore assets restrained by an Australian Federal Police-led taskforce.

The man, 26, who pleaded guilty and was sentenced in Downing Centre District Court on Thursday, 15 October, 2020, is the first offender convicted with child exploitation offences to have his assets restrained since AFP Commissioner Reece Kershaw set a new aggressive strategy for the Criminal Assets Confiscation Taskforce (CACT).

Under the new direction revealed last month, the AFP-led CACT will now actively determine if the assets of child sex offenders can be confiscated.

Two bank accounts; one in Australia holding about $16,400, and another in Germany holding ?8000; plus camera equipment, a drone and scuba diving gear, with a combined estimated worth of AUD$30,000; were restrained by the AFP-led CACT in the Supreme Court of NSW on Thursday, 8 October.

The criminal investigation started in February 2019 when the AFP's Child Protection Operation team in Sydney received a tip-off from the United States-based National Centre for Missing and Exploitation Children that a man in Australia was uploading child abuse to Snapchat.

The AFP traced the digital trail and discovered the user was advertising a website selling explicit child abuse material on a number of social media platforms, including Tumblr, Snapchat and Instagram.

The investigation revealed the user was the administrator of a website that sold packs of child abuse material videos and images for $US50. Each pack contained dozens of videos obtained online, showing the abuse and exploitation of children across the world.

The user was identified as a Belgian national, who arrived from Thailand to Australia in November 2018. The man, travelling around the country on a three-month holiday, was staying at a Sydney youth hostel when arrested by the AFP in April 2019.

A search warrant was executed in the Sydney suburb of Haymarket on Monday, 8 April, 2019.

The man was arrested and charged with supplying child pornography through a carriage service, using a carriage service to access, transmit, make available, publish, distribute, advertising or promote child abuse material, and deal with the proceeds of crime worth $10,000 or more.

He pleaded guilty and was sentenced to a maximum of four years' jail, with a non-parole period of two and a half years.

The AFP uncovered the man had been selling the material since September 2018 right up until his arrest in April 2019. The proceeds had been funding his lifestyle and round-the-world holidays.

The website, no longer active, was taken down after representations made by the AFP.

AFP investigators identified about $US19,000 in profits from the website and a referral was made to the CACT to start a civil case to retrain his seized assets.

AFP CACT acting national manager Stefan Jerga said the case highlighted the AFP's determination to unleash maximum damage to the criminal environment.

"If a child sex predator is profiting from - or involves their property in - their criminal activity, their home, vehicle, bank accounts and other assets are at risk of being restrained and confiscated,'' Mr Jerga said.

"Our team of investigators, litigators and forensic accountants are highly skilled at what they do and are relentless and determined in their pursuit for justice.

"This investigation shows what can be achieved when our experienced criminal investigators unite with our equally skilled CACT investigators and litigators. Combing the powers in the AFP's toolkit is helping the AFP stay one step ahead of child sex predators."

AFP Assistant Commissioner Eastern Command Justine Gough said the assets restrained added another layer to the child protection team's complex investigation.

"The investigation started with a clue that someone, somewhere, was trying to advertise the exploitation of children for profit,'' Assistant Commissioner Gough said.

"Thanks to the tenacious work of the Sydney child protection team, a man has now been convicted for trading in the exploitation of children, and we have taken steps to take back the money he made from this abhorrent venture.

"Every image being shared and bought on this website was of a child being abused. Bringing these offenders from online anonymity to jail time is what drives the AFP to keep children safe."

https://www.afp.gov.au/news-media/media-releases/afp-restrains-assets-man-who-sold-child-abuse-material-online

#11232130 at 2020-10-23 05:19:06 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #10 - INFORMATION WARFARE Edition

>>11232101

2/2

AFP Commissioner Reece Kershaw said while the hard-work, diligence and co-operation of police should be recognised, victims remained front of mind for law enforcement agencies.

"Arresting offenders and putting them before the court is only half the battle,'' Commissioner Kershaw said.

"Identifying victims is a race against time and the ACCCE's victim identification team is relentless in rescuing children from sexual abuse.

"Pixel by pixel, our investigators painstakingly look for clues and never give up and the tools they use give Australian police access to world leading expertise.

"Viewing, distributing or producing child exploitation material is a crime. Children are not commodities and the AFP and its partner agencies work around-the-clock to identify and prosecute offenders."

As a result of AFP investigations there were 134 children who were removed from harm, 67 domestically and 67 internationally, from July 2019 to June 2020.

In the past 12 months alone, the ACCCE has intercepted and examined more than 250,000 child abuse material files. Of these, 44 referrals were made to ACCCE's victim identification team, making up more than 4000 images and 2200 videos.

The ACCCE's victim identification team has also sent 49 referrals relating to victims of child abuse to 20 countries in the past 12 months.

The ACCCE is committed to stopping child exploitation and abuse and is at the centre of a collaborative national approach to combatting organised child abuse.

The Centre brings together specialist expertise and skills in a central hub, supporting investigations into child sexual abuse and developing prevention strategies focused on creating a safer online environment.

Members of the public who have any information about people involved in child abuse and exploitation are urged to call Crime stoppers on 1800 333 000.

You can also make a report online by alerting the Australian Centre to Counter Child Exploitation via the Report Abuse button at www.accce.gov.au/report

EDITORS NOTE: Media are reminded of their obligations under s15A of the Children (Criminal Proceedings) Act 1987 (NSW) and s105 of the Children and Young Person (Care and Protection) Act 1998 (NSW).

Note to media:

Use of term 'CHILD ABUSE' MATERIAL NOT 'CHILD PORNOGRAPHY'

The correct legal term is Child Abuse Material - the move to this wording was among amendments to Commonwealth legislation in 2019 to more accurately reflect the gravity of the crimes and the harm inflicted on victims.

Use of the phrase "child pornography" is inaccurate and benefits child sex abusers because it:

- indicates legitimacy and compliance on the part of the victim and therefore legality on the part of the abuser; and

- conjures images of children posing in 'provocative' positions, rather than suffering horrific abuse.

Every photograph or video captures an actual situation where a child has been abused.

Editor's note: vision is available to download here via hightail - https://spaces.hightail.com/space/7dKVZclCO0

https://www.afp.gov.au/news-media/media-releases/nationwide-operation-molto-removes-16-children-harm

#11034653 at 2020-10-12 06:42:59 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #10 - INFORMATION WARFARE Edition

>>11034645

2/2

Eccles 'absolutely certain' he did not make private security decision

In a written statement to the hotel quarantine inquiry, Mr Ashton said he sent a text message to Mr Eccles at 1:16pm on March 27 saying:

"Chris I am getting word from Canberra for a plan whereby arrivals from overseas are to be subjected to enforced isolation from tomorrow.

"The suggestion is Victorian arrivals are conveyed to a hotel Somewhere where they are guarded by police for 14 days.

"Are you aware of anything in this regard?? Graham."

Mr Ashton's statement said he did not receive a reply to that text message and could not recall whether anyone phoned him about the private security arrangements.

Mr Ashton's statement said he sent a text message at 1:22pm to Australian Federal Police Commissioner Reece Kershaw and said:

"Mate my advise [sic] is that ADF will do Passenger transfer and private security will be used."

Mr Eccles told the hotel quarantine inquiry he could not recall whether he called Mr Ashton following that 1:16pm text message.

Today, he said he did not have his full telephone records until the hotel quarantine inquiry requested them on Saturday.

But he said although the telephone records show he did call the then-chief commissioner on March 27, they did not show that he or anyone in the Premier's department made the decision to use private security.

"I am absolutely certain I did not convey to Mr Ashton any decision regarding the use of private security as I was unaware any such decision had been made, and I most certainly had not made such a decision myself," Mr Eccles said.

Mr Eccles said he was resigning because he did not want to distract from the Government's response to the coronavirus pandemic.

"I do not want a focus on me to in any way undermine the extraordinary work of the public sector as it continues to respond to unprecedented challenges of 2020," he said.

The Premier said Mr Eccles advised his department about the March 27 phone call late yesterday.

"Until last night, I had understood that Mr Eccles did not know if he had telephoned Mr Ashton at that time," Mr Andrews said in a statement.

"That matter is now beyond doubt."

Responding to Mr Eccles' resignation, Opposition Leader Michael O'Brien said Mr Andrews was ultimately responsible.

"All roads lead to Daniel Andrews," he said.

"How many other careers are going to be thrown under a bus to protect this Premier? The buck stops with Daniel Andrews."

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-10-12/premier-daniel-andrews-dept-head-chris-eccles-resigns/12753610

#10866991 at 2020-10-01 09:31:10 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #10 - INFORMATION WARFARE Edition

FBI gives Australia inside running on China tactics

Australian Federal Police chief commissioner Reece Kershaw says the agency needs more Mandarin speakers to work on foreign inference cases and will recruit language graduates and Australian-Chinese community members to tackle the "new and complex" threat.

A year after he was sworn into the job, Mr Kershaw has also ­revealed he sought help last year from the United States Federal Bureau of Investigations on how the AFP could respond to foreign interference in Australian institutions. He said the FBI prepared detailed training materials for its Australian counterpart to help it investigate crimes under foreign interference laws passed in June 2018. He said a key insight from the FBI, which has ramped up prosecutions of US citizens and foreign agents working covertly for Beijing, was to "understand your opponent".

"We are dealing with people who are highly trained and highly skilled," Mr Kershaw said. "The challenge in that crime type is how do you cut across from intelligence to evidence. It's great to know something and suspect something, but you have to prove it."

The agency now has 65 investigators in its foreign interference team, which works closely with ASIO, "and that will grow over time", Mr Kershaw said.

He said there were "not enough" Mandarin speakers in the AFP to deal with the growing foreign interference threat - a situation he hoped to reverse in a new recruitment drive. "It is something that we are focusing on, as far as far as getting that broad language (skill set) and identifying what those gaps are," Mr Kershaw said.

Australia's security agencies have long struggled to recruit sufficient numbers of Mandarin speakers of non-Chinese heritage, who are more easily vetted for classified work, making it much harder to crack foreign interference cases. It's understood the AFP will also target Arabic speakers to work on counter-terrorism cases as part of a wider push to ensure the agency taps into the skills of ­diaspora communities.

"We've got to be as diverse as the Australian community, but currently we're not," he said.

Since Mr Kershaw took charge, the AFP has disrupted two potential terrorist attacks - one by an alleged Islamist extremist and another inspired by extreme right-wing ideology. Ten people were charged as a result of six joint counter-terrorism operations.

Mr Kershaw said a new Sensitive Investigations Oversight Board was now helping investigators to balance the requirement to prevent an attack with the need to gather evidence to prosecute.

The AFP is also pursuing a surge in online child exploitation cases, amid a jump in reports of ­alleged abuse to 21,000 in 2019-20, compared to 14,000 the previous year.

Data suggests the amount of child abuse material being shared on the dark web is increasing, with AFP officers seeing sites crash due to the increase volume of traffic.

The AFP raided NSW state Labor MP Shaoquett Moselmane and his part-time staffer John Zhang in June in a joint investigation with ASIO over allegations of foreign interference by the Chinese Communist Party.

It's alleged Mr Zhang, who ­attended a CCP propaganda training course in 2013, sought to ­improperly influence Mr Moselmane, concealing from his boss that he and others were collaborating with the Chinese state.

The raids were the first use of June 2018 national security laws introduced by Malcolm Turnbull targeting CCP interference in Australian institutions.

Mr Kershaw said the AFP was currently investigating "more than one" additional foreign interference case, but declined to elaborate.

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/fbi-gives-aussies-inside-running-on-china-tactics/news-story/57601190ee4aefa0b3913c162649bd7c

#10832471 at 2020-09-29 07:34:31 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #10 - INFORMATION WARFARE Edition

Fallen police honoured on National Police Remembrance Day

Tuesday, 29 September 2020

National Police Remembrance Day will today pay tribute to police who lost their lives in the line of duty, including four Victorian officers who will be immortalised at the National Police Memorial in Canberra.

Two services will be held to honour the fallen, including Leading Senior Constable Lynette Taylor, Senior Constable Kevin King, Constable Glen Humphris and Constable Josh Prestney, who were killed on duty at a vehicle stop on Melbourne's Eastern Freeway on April 22 this year. It was the biggest loss of life in a single event for Victoria Police.

They will be memorialised on the National Police Memorial Wall, which will now enshrine 798 names of fallen police who made the ultimate sacrifice for the communities they served.

Touchstone plaques honouring the four Victorian officers will be escorted in a motorcade from the Australian Federal Police College in Barton to the National Police Memorial in Kings Park.

Each touchstone, which includes the rank, date of death and place of death of the fallen, will be driven separately in a Highway Patrol car, reflecting the officers' roles and service as part of Victoria Police Highway Patrol. The touchstones will be mounted on to a large, stone, paved shrine. The AFP is the custodian of the wall.

The commemorations will continue with the National Police Remembrance Day Dusk Service, to be held at the National Police Memorial at 4.30pm.

Police commissioners and representatives from most policing jurisdictions will be unable to pay their respects in person this year because of COVID-19 restrictions. The commissioners have instead sent virtual messages, available here, to be screened at today's ceremony.

https://www.facebook.com/AusFedPolice/videos/345740340112932/

Australian Federal Police Commissioner Reece Kershaw APM said National Police Remembrance Day was a time to pay tribute to police who made the ultimate sacrifice.

"Today we remember those whose lives were cut tragically short because they were serving their community,'' Mr Kershaw said.

"There are 798 names on the National Police Memorial Wall, 798 too many. There are too many families who no longer have a father, mother, husband or wife.

"To those families who have lost loved ones, we grieve with you. We also reflect on their commitment to duty and striving every day to keep the public safe.

"In particular, we stand with the families and loved ones of the four Victoria Police officers who were tragically taken from us earlier this year. While we can never take away the weight of your loss, across Australia, the entire policing family, is here to support you."

Members of the public are encouraged to virtually attend this year's service via livestream.

National Police Remembrance Day

https://vimeo.com/event/299960

https://www.afp.gov.au/news-media/media-releases/fallen-police-honoured-national-police-remembrance-day

—

Australian Federal Police - National Police Remembrance Day 2020

On National Police Remembrance Day we remember those whose lives were cut tragically short while serving their community.

Shockwaves reverberated through the Australian policing community in April, when Leading Senior Constable Lynette Taylor, Senior Constable Kevin King, Constable Glen Humphris and Constable Josh Prestney, were killed on duty at a vehicle stop on Melbourne's Eastern Freeway on 22 April.

It was the biggest loss of life in a single event for Victoria Police.

These officers were children, siblings, partners and friends. That didn't stop when they put on the uniform, and the sadness of their loss remains. To those families who have lost loved ones, we grieve with you. While we can never take away the weight of your loss, across Australia, the entire policing family, is here to support you.

To those who continue to serve, we thank you.

#NeverForgotten

https://www.facebook.com/AusFedPolice/videos/345740340112932/

#10628421 at 2020-09-13 08:26:04 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #9 - Welcome to the Digital Battlefield Edition

AFP to seize paedophiles' cars, cash and homes for the first time

1/2

Paedophiles will lose their homes, cars and cash as Australian Federal Police Commissioner Reece Kershaw vowed to "go after the assets of paedophiles'' who profit from evil online child abuse.

Exclusive: Paedophiles will lose their homes, cars and cash as federal police fight an explosion in child sex crimes by confiscating offenders' property for the first time.

Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton revealed today police will target the assets of child abusers through the Coalition Government's proceeds of crime laws.

"If a sex offender is found to be profiting or seeking to gain from the exploitation of children, they can expect to have their bank account, their home or even their car seized,'' he told New Corp Australia.

"We are going to target those who profit from an abhorrent trade in child abuse.''

The crackdown comes as police revealed that "dark web'' servers have crashed under the rocketing demand from perverted Australians paying to watch children being sexually abused online.

For the price of a pack of cigarettes, viewers can direct impoverished parents in third-world countries to video themselves raping, molesting and torturing their own young children.

Australian Federal Police (AFP) Commissioner Reece Kershaw yesterday vowed to "go after the assets of paedophiles'' who cash in on evil online child abuse.

"It is truly sickening that offenders are profiting from the abuse, degradation and misery of children,'' he writes today.

"I make no apologies for using the full force ... of the law in our fight to lock these offenders away, and strip them of their tainted assets.

"We will never give up in our fight to rescue the victims and unleash maximum damage to those who do our children harm.''

Commissioner Kershaw said the AFP-led Criminal Assets Confiscation Taskforce, CACT, would target paedophiles in the same way as drug dealers, bikies and fraudsters.

The "new and aggressive strategy'' would confiscate the assets of criminals who make money through exploiting children, such as pay-per-view rapes.

The CACT will follow the money trail of online child abuse using an elite team of police, lawyers, financial investigators and forensic accountants from the AFP, Australian Taxation Office, Border Force, AUSTRAC and the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission.

(continued)

#10315280 at 2020-08-17 06:36:55 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #9 - Welcome to the Digital Battlefield Edition

Federal police join global mafia assault

A co-ordinated global assault on the 'ndrangheta - the powerful Calabrian mafia clans linked to some of Australia's biggest drug importations - is targeting their fugitives and finances.

International law enforcement agencies have in the past been criticised for failing to combine resources and knowledge to take on mafia families that have fanned out from southern Italy to the rest of the world.

But in June, police chiefs from 11 countries including Australia met for the first time and mapped out the cross-country flows of ­fugitives as part of a joint Interpol and Italian initiative to take on the 'ndrangheta.

Last month, six fugitives linked to the criminal clans were arrested in Argentina, Albania and Costa Rica.

Anna Sergi, who has carried out extensive research with Australian and international authorities, said the arrests were "symbolically important" for the fledgling initiative - and added that Australia was the perfect ­bolthole for others on the run.

"There are all the ingredients you need," Dr Sergi, from the University of Essex, said. "There are relatives with established businesses, and varieties of jobs you can do and ways in which you can manipulate the visa system.

"And the important thing is that the 'ndrangheta in Australia has an extremely rooted presence - it's not just about drugs, it's about many other activities."

Calabrian crime families, which operate independently like franchises, have been living and thriving in Australia for almost a century, arriving in the 1920s with waves of Italian migrants.

Also known in Australia as the Honoured Society, they carved out a reputation for ruthless violence, earning national infamy for ordering the killing of Griffith anti-drugs campaigner Donald Mackay in 1977.

Interpol secretary-general Jurgen Stock last month said the operation to arrest the fugitives was only the beginning of the ­effort to take on "one of the most extensive and powerful criminal organisations in the world".

The Calabrian mafia is estimated to control up to 80 per cent of Europe's cocaine trade via its relationships with South American and Mexican drug cartels.

The Australian Federal Police this month alleged the group was linked to a Victoria-based syndicate that tried to bring more than 600kg of cocaine into the country via Papua New Guinea.

The drugs in that case were ­allegedly taken into PNG from Peru on a private yacht by its ­Italian owner Carlo D'Attanasio.

A plane with an Australian pilot crashed on take off north of Port Moresby while attempting to bring the drugs to Queensland on July 26, weighed down by its heavy load of white powder.

The AFP has declined to detail the alleged 'ndrangheta links.

AFP commissioner Reece Kershaw spoke to other police chiefs via video link for the first meeting of the Interpol Co-­operation Against 'Ndrangheta project, which will also focus on ­financial crimes such as money-laundering and the links between businesses in different countries.

"Let's say a restaurant in Melbourne is connected to an export business in Uruguay which is connected to a farm of lemons in ­Argentina," Dr Sergi said.

"You need to see the bigger picture and how this supply chain will develop around the world."

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/federal-police-join-global-mafia-assault/news-story/791bb83373c1a8c4cdc5942f1672e853

#10238835 at 2020-08-10 04:43:02 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #9 - Welcome to the Digital Battlefield Edition

AFP will bust cyber crims in their lairs

Australian Federal Police officers will be deployed to Africa, Europe and the US as authorities pursue previously out-of-reach cyber criminals including scammers, international sexual predators and intellectual property thieves.

Under the plan, officers will have the power to knock on doors, seize assets and arrest criminals from Nigeria and Eastern Europe to Brazil - a move described by AFP Commissioner Reece Kershaw as an "offshore punch".

Officers to be based in countries close to cybercrime hubs will work with international authorities to disrupt, arrest and charge individuals and groups targeting Australians through phishing and malware campaigns, siphoning superannuation accounts and ­romance fraud.

Cryptocurrency, used by cyber criminals to launder their ill-­gotten gains, is expected to be a target of the AFP crackdown.

Under new powers the Morrison government hopes to legislate before the end of the year, the AFP will receive technical support from Australia's leading cyber experts attached to the Australian Signals Directorate and other ­security agencies.

Australians have reported losing more than $2.5bn to inter­national online scams between 2009 and 2019, according to the Australian Competition & Consumer Commission, a figure it describes as a low estimate.

The most significant cyber threats to Australia originate in Nigeria, Romania, China, Brazil, North Korea, Iran, Russia and former Soviet Union states.

Vietnam and Malaysia were in May also identified as emerging cybercrime hot spots by the Australian Strategic Policy Institute.

Mr Kershaw said the overseas deployment - boosted by 100 extra cyber police, technical specialists and intelligence analysts - would deliver "the offshore punch needed" to disrupt and dismantle international crime syndicates that were targeting Aus­tralians. "Just because predators and syndicates are offshore does not mean the long arm of the AFP cannot reach them," he said.

"The criminal syndicates hiding behind keyboards are targeting the nest eggs of hardworking Australians, they are holding our businesses to ransom, robbing our universities of their intellectual property, and planning terrorist attacks," Mr Kershaw said.

"And a tsunami of subhuman sexual predators are constantly targeting our children online. These are not victimless crimes and they are causing significant harm to our community. The AFP will respond to the cyber threat with renewed focus and enhanced capabilities to cause maximum damage to the criminal environment," he said.

A new target development team will be established by the AFP - with the help of the Australian Cyber Security Centre - to deal with threat analysis, technical support and online discreet personas to limit the exposure of police officers.

ACCC chairman Rod Sims last month warned that several criminal cartels were targeting COVID-19 support schemes, ­including the early release of superannuation, and that there had been a dramatic spike in­ ­cybercrime during the ­pandemic.

In addition to romance fraud and malware attacks on business, an increasing threat to Australian companies is "business email compromise" (BEC) and the sale of Imminent Monitor Remote Access Tools (IM-RAT).

BEC involves the impersonation of a senior executive or company to send fake invoices to customers that require payment or instruct employees to transfer funds into accounts controlled by cyber criminals.

The AFP has already launched Operation Dolos to stop romance fraud victims becoming money mules for BEC cyber criminals.

On June 6, there were at least four attempted BECs against Australian customers of an X-ray machine and other hospital equipment manufacturers, with invoices linked to the ­romance fraud victim's bank ­account.

IM-RAT allows a remote user to access and view documents, photographs and other files, record all keystrokes entered and activate the webcam and microphone on a victim's computer.

The AFP launched Operation Cepheus following a tip from the FBI, and uncovered a network of individuals supporting the distribution and use of IM-RAT software across 124 countries, with sales records showing up to 14,500 purchasers.

AFP Cybercrime Operations shut down the software, resulting in the execution of 85 search warrants, with 434 items seized, and 13 arrests. The warrants revealed evidence of stolen passwords, private photographs and video footage.

The AFP's overseas deployment comes one week after the government released a $1.67bn cybersecurity strategy that supported advice from an industry panel led by Telstra chief Andy Penn urging tougher enforcement of offshore cyber threats.

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/afp-will-bust-cyber-crims-in-their-lairs/news-story/034d9dfc6ea40e09a6189434121d8828

#10208990 at 2020-08-07 07:27:19 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #9 - Welcome to the Digital Battlefield Edition

Change of command for Australia's special forces ahead of explosive war crimes report

Australian special forces will for the first time be led by an officer who has not been a member of the famed Special Air Services (SAS) Regiment, in what defence insiders consider an important "cultural shift" for elite soldiers.

The ABC can reveal Major General Paul Kenny, who is currently the acting head of the ADF's COVID-19 taskforce, will become the next Special Operations Commander for Australia (SOCAUST).

The Commando officer is taking over from Major General Adam Findlay, who has overseen Australia's special forces since 2017, as a long-running inquiry into alleged war crimes in Afghanistan nears completion.

Since 2003, the Special Operations Command has been responsible for the highly secretive SAS regiment and their colleagues in the Commando regiments, as well as other specialised support units.

Senior military figures said the appointment of Major General Kenny as SOCAUST came at a crucial time for special forces, as they undertake major cultural reforms prompted by incidents of bad behaviour, particularly by the SAS, during the Afghanistan war.

"He is not caught up in the echo chamber and conflicts of interest that came with being too close to the SAS Regiment in the past," one special forces member told the ABC, speaking on the condition of anonymity.

"[Major General] Kenny is in my view very professional and a great choice."

Since May 2016, New South Wales Justice Paul Brereton has been assisting the Inspector-General of the Australian Defence Force (IGADF) in examining the conduct of special forces personnel during the war in Afghanistan.

Justice Brereton's highly anticipated report is believed to be almost completed, with military insiders expecting his findings to be handed to the Chief of Defence in the coming weeks.

In a statement, Defence declined to say whether it had considered extending Major General Findlay's term until after the IGADF process is completed.

"Major General Findlay's tenure as Special Operations Commander of Australia concludes at the end of 2020," a defence spokesperson told the ABC.

"His departure from the SOCAUST role is reflective of the normal posting routine in the ADF.

"The IGADF inquiry process has not had bearing on the posting process associated with the SOCAUST position."

Major General Findlay has won praise for initiating cultural reforms within special forces, including delivering a blistering address to members of the SAS regiment earlier this year over "poor moral leadership".

Earlier this year, the IGADF revealed investigators were looking into 55 separate incidents of alleged breaches of the rules of war in Afghanistan between 2005 and 2016.

Last month, the Australian Federal Police Commissioner Reece Kershaw warned that prosecutions of possible Australian war crimes could take up to a decade to complete.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-08-07/sas-new-commander-appointed-paul-kenny/12531944

#10063039 at 2020-07-24 09:06:53 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #8 - WE ARE THE CURE Edition

>>10042071
Facebook accounts for up to 60% of child abuse reports to AFP, data shows

Security agencies are concerned the number of child abuse reports received by authorities will dive if tech giant Facebook's plans to encrypt communications across its products goes ahead.

Between 40 and 60 per cent of child exploitation reports received by the Australian Federal Police involve Facebook, police figures show.

The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age revealed on Thursday laws were being worked on to go after criminals on the dark web that would be broad enough to be used on social media platforms, which are embracing technology such as encryption and anonymous browsing.

Facebook, which owns Messenger, WhatsApp and Instagram, last year announced it would introduce end-to-end encryption across all its services by default, preventing data from being accessed by people other than the sender and recipient. Currently, WhatsApp is encrypted while Messenger has opt-in encryption and Instagram's direct messaging is not encrypted.

The Australian and US governments have been calling on Facebook to build its system so it allows "lawful access" to encrypted messages but the company says this would create "backdoors" and weaken the entire system. According to Facebook, weakening end-to-end encryption would leave users vulnerable to hackers and other forms of unauthorised access.

A Facebook spokeswoman said the company had "zero tolerance for any behaviour that exploits children" and reported all instances of child abuse to the National Centre for Missing and Exploited Children.

"Across all our platforms, we use sophisticated technology to proactively find and remove this content - 99.5 per cent of which is identified before someone reports it, often at the point it's uploaded," she said. "We lead the industry in combating child exploitation in both public and encrypted spaces on our services and remain committed to the safety of people who use them."

Australian Federal Police commissioner Reece Kershaw this week singled out Facebook, saying his agency would "continue to push for new laws that make it easier and lawful to keep Australians safe".

Without having access to an offender's communications on any local devices, the AFP is concerned it won't be alerted by Facebook to incidents of child abuse material in the first instance, making it harder to build cases against offenders.

An AFP spokesman said it believed end-to-end encryption would provide offenders with an "open platform to groom vulnerable children and parents online".

He said the National Centre for Missing and Exploited Children estimated more than half the reports from a cyber-tip hotline would vanish if end-to-end encryption went ahead "without a solution in place to safeguard children".

"If these reports vanish, there will be no trace of the horrific abuse suffered by these children, no crumb of evidence for law enforcement to follow, to identify the offender, to arrest them and to rescue that child from harm," the AFP spokesman said.

"The AFP supports the position for Facebook to not proceed with end-to-end encryption without careful consideration and assurance that there is no reduction to user safety."

https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/facebook-accounts-for-up-to-60-percent-of-child-abuse-reports-to-afp-data-shows-20200723-p55ep7.html

#10042071 at 2020-07-22 07:40:34 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #8 - WE ARE THE CURE Edition

Facebook encryption is contributing to child torture: Australian Federal Police

Facebook has been accused of contributing to the rape and torture of children.

Australian Federal Police commissioner Reece Kershaw blasted the tech giant for allowing pedophiles to hide behind end-to-end encryption.

"If I was running those companies, and you were going to contribute to the rape and torture of children, I can't see why that's a good thing," he told the National Press Club in Canberra on Wednesday.

Mr Kershaw contrasted the social media company's approach with Australian tech companies, who he said were co-operative in helping the AFP weed out criminals exploiting encrypted platforms.

"The tech companies here are excellent and have been very helpful and supportive of what we have been trying to achieve," he said.

"I'm not that happy with, obviously, Facebook and others."

Mr Kershaw said his officers would be further disadvantaged by tech companies planning to use even more secure communication methods.

"Pedophiles are counting down the days because they cannot wait," he said.

He said Australians could no longer ignore news of child exploitation.

"As a country we need to be more outraged," Mr Kershaw said.

He challenged Australians who opposed legislation giving law enforcement access to encrypted communications to explain it to victims of child exploitation.

"They may never get justice because technology has been designed to keep the identity of their monster a secret," Mr Kershaw said.

The AFP has received more than 11,000 referrals about child exploitation so far this year.

Mr Kershaw believes the insidious crime is 10 times more prevalent in the shadows of the dark web.

He warned more Australians were accessing child pornography during the coronavirus pandemic.

"There are more people at home on their computers and more desperate people across the world," he said.

The AFP is increasingly vigilant to foreign interference in Australia, which security agencies believe has reached levels not seen since the Cold War.

"It's here, it's in our country," Mr Kershaw said.

"Those that try to, under the auspices of a foreign principal, try to interfere in our systems and our processes, whether that's commonwealth or state government, we will take action."

The AFP is also focused on the growing threat of right-wing terrorism.

"We don't discriminate on what the ideology is," Mr Kershaw said.

"If you're out there to harm through violence and try and murder Australians here or offshore then we're going to come after you, no matter what you believe in."

Mr Kershaw, who is nine months into the role, wants his officers to seize between $600 million and $1 billion worth of criminal assets over the next five years.

https://thenewdaily.com.au/news/national/2020/07/22/facebook-child-torture-afp/

#9209294 at 2020-05-17 09:56:00 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #8 - WE ARE THE CURE Edition

Australian Federal Police tip-off leads to rescue of child sex slaves

The arrest of an Australian man with links to child abuse in the Philippines has triggered an international police bust which resulted in three children being rescued and a woman arrested.

The paedophile ring bust is part of an ongoing investigation by the Australian Federal Police into the sexual abuse of children in the Philippines.

The raid was sparked after the AFP arrested a 63-year-old Sydney man in January who is accused of live-streaming child abuse online.

An investigation by the AFP's child-protection unit in Sydney then used intelligence provided by the financial crimes watchdog, AUSTRAC, to discover the man had made 395 transactions, totalling $113,000, to individuals in the Philippines over many years.

After a tip-off from the AFP to authorities in the Philippines, local police raided a property last Wednesday in the north of the capital, Manila.

Three children - aged six, 11 and 14 - were rescued and a 34-year-old woman was arrested on charges that she used the minors to live-stream sexual acts on the internet. Photos show Philippine authorities shielding the children and leading them out of the property.

Since 2010, the Sydney man is suspected of travelling to Manila on a regular basis to engage in criminal activities. He was in the country as recently as December last year.

The initial investigation was sparked by one of his visits to the country last year and he was later arrested and charged with producing child abuse material.

The man was granted bail in the NSW Supreme Court last month after a $30,000 surety was posted by his brother, who the court found to be an "acceptable person".

Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton told The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age the operation was a strong example of Australia's key security agencies working together across borders to protect children from further harm.

"We will continue doing everything within our power to protect these children and to bring justice to these insidious offenders," Mr Dutton said.

The bust is the latest in a string of raids on properties in the Philippines uncovering child-exploitation networks, involving the payment of hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Australia's most senior security and police chiefs have warned that communication and live-streaming on the "dark web" have been rising for years, suggesting new laws are needed to crackdown on the growing problem.

Under one plan being worked on by the Morrison government, the nation's premier foreign cyber intelligence agency - the Australian Signals Directorate - would be enlisted to help track down online paedophiles, terrorists and other serious criminals within Australia. The change could allow the AFP to call for assistance from the ASD to go after serious criminals onshore, while the government is also looking at giving police and security agencies new powers to access end-to-end encrypted content to fight online child sex abuse networks.

With more people on the internet at home during the coronavirus outbreak, AFP Commissioner Reece Kershaw has also warned that communication and child-grooming attempts across the dark web have been increasing since the start of the pandemic.

Since the creation of the international law enforcement body known as the Philippine Internet Crimes Against Children Centre in February last year, 50 operations have been launched resulting in the rescue of 156 victims; 46 suspects or facilitators have been charged and three offenders convicted.

Paula Hudson, the acting AFP commander for the Australian Centre to Counter Child Exploitation and Child Protection Operations, said the officers who investigated the latest case were determined to save the children.

"Our officers don't stop investigating when there is a chance of rescuing a child from harm and this referral to Philippine authorities is a great example of their dedication to protecting children," she said.

https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/afp-tip-off-leads-to-rescue-of-child-sex-slaves-20200517-p54tn5.html

#8316828 at 2020-03-04 18:00:19 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #7 - FIRE & FURY Edition

Australian Signals Directorate has already spied on Australians, boss confirms

Rachel Noble tells Senate estimates the agency has sought ministerial approval to gather intelligence on Australians

The Australian Signals Directorate has already spied on Australians in the last year, invoking "rare circumstances" and seeking ministerial approval to extend its powers in an unspecified number of cases.

ASD's director general, Rachel Noble, indicated in Senate estimates on Wednesday that although the focus of the agency's powers was directed at gathering intelligence about people or organisations outside Australia, it had also produced intelligence about Australians.

The evidence follows the home affairs department secretary, Michael Pezzullo's, confirmation on Monday that "detailed consideration" is under way to better use law enforcement to tackle "evils" on the dark web.

In June 2019, the News Corp journalist Annika Smethurst's home was raided after she reported on government plans to extend ASD's spying powers to Australians.

The home affairs minister, Peter Dutton, dismissed the report as "absolute nonsense" but has since repeatedly called for a public debate about extending the powers, as recently as February.

Noble said that "while much of our cybersecurity role, and the protection of Australia's digital borders, is conducted domestically - ASD is prohibited by legislation from producing intelligence on Australian persons except in rare circumstances, and only then under the authority of a ministerial authorisation".

"This is an important safeguard, and one that is fundamental to ASD's work," Noble said in an opening statement tabled at the hearing. "Our responsibility to protect the online safety and privacy of Australians is paramount."

Asked by senator Jacqui Lambie if any of the "rare circumstances" justifying production of intelligence on Australians had occurred in the last 12 months, Noble replied: "Yes."

Noble took on notice follow-up questions about the number of incidents and how that compared with previous years.

Noble declined to answer what the circumstances were, explaining that to give an example would reveal classified information.

Earlier, in her statement, Noble said the Australian Cybersecurity Centre had "responded to over 1,275 cybersecurity incidents" since July, more than five a day.

The defence minister, Linda Reynolds, said there was "currently no proposal before government" to extend ASD's domestic spying powers and noted that the home affairs department was responsible for policy development.

Noble said that home affairs was considering the challenges of "the dark web, the proliferation of cyber crime and the horrors therein".

ASD's role was to be consulted on technical advice about its own powers "to help them develop a clear view about where there are gaps", she said.

In July 2018, the government expanded ASD's functions to include prevention and disruption of cybercrime conducted outside Australia, which included the power to do so for crimes undertaken or enabled by an Australian person offshore "in special circumstances, subject to authorisation by the minister", she said.

Noble denied that ASD had given advice about extending its powers to the disruption of cyber crime on Australian telecommunications infrastructure.

On Monday, Pezzullo said the government "will soon consider a new cybersecurity strategy to succeed the strategy that was launched in 2016".

Pezzullo said that while "connectivity is a positive force for global human interaction and prosperity, in the shadowy creases of the surface web lies the demonically evil phenomenon known as the dark web".

"As I've previously advised this committee, it is the expert view of my colleagues and myself that the only way to hunt and disrupt on the dark web is to better use the lawful capabilities of our law enforcement and technical intelligence functions in closer partnership and under strict oversight.

"As ministers have said, this is something to which detailed consideration should be given. That process is under way."

The Australian federal police wants the power to be able to call in the ASD when its hunt for cyber criminals, including those related to child abuse and terrorism, lead back to Australian borders.

In February, the AFP commissioner, Reece Kershaw, told the National Press Club while the AFP is happy with its current powers "there are some challenges there in some additional legislation [that is required]".

(continued)

https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2020/mar/04/australian-signals-directorate-has-already-spied-on-australians-boss-confirms

#8183810 at 2020-02-19 15:51:01 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #7 - FIRE & FURY Edition

Government considering bringing foreign cyber spy powers onshore to hunt Australian paedophiles

Australia's premier foreign cyber intelligence agency would be enlisted to help track down online paedophiles, terrorists and other serious criminals under a proposal being developed by the Federal Government.

The ABC understands the change could allow the Australian Federal Police (AFP) to call for assistance from the Australian Signals Directorate (ASD) or extend the cyber capability of the AFP.

The ASD, whose motto is to "reveal their secrets, protect our own", is restricted under legislation to hacking, disrupting and destroying foreign criminal cyber activity.

The agency is banned from spying or hacking into online systems based in Australia.

This means that if cyber spooks working for ASD come across cybercriminal activity within Australia, its work must immediately stop, no matter how serious the offence.

For example, the ASD can hunt down sexual predators using overseas networks, but it cannot spy on them if the server is based in Australia.

"At the moment, if there is a server in Sydney that has images of a five- or six-month-old child being sexually exploited and tortured, then that may not be discoverable, particularly if it's encrypted and protected to a point where the AFP or the ACIC can't gain access to that server," Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton told the ABC.

"It can be a different picture if that server is offshore, so there is an anomaly that exists at the moment."

It is understood that the Government wants agencies to be able to develop cyber expertise or to enlist the skills of ASD by relaxing the restrictions governing the agency's remit.

While he wouldn't back the proposal outright, Mr Dutton made it clear he wants change.

"What I think is that there should be a public debate about whether we think it's acceptable for our society to tolerate the presence of these criminal networks right next door to us and yet we have no ability to do anything about it," he said.

…..

The AFP received 17,000 referrals for online child exploitation material last year, compared to just 300 a decade ago.

A referral doesn't mean a single image of a child, but potentially thousands of videos and pictures of children being sexually abused.

Security agencies argue that the online world, especially the largely ungoverned "dark web", protects those attempting to do harm and interception laws have not kept up.

Publicly, the agencies and Mr Dutton have complained that warrants allowing agencies to use ASD are too restrictive and criminal networks onshore are operating with impunity.

Mr Dutton wants to bring online warrants into the 21st century to keep up with evolving technology that has made it easier for criminals to hide.

He is pushing for the online warrants to mirror the process police are able to use when searching a house.

"I want to make sure that if they [the police] can get a warrant from a court and go to a paedophile's house and search that house for material ... I want to make sure we have the same power to do that in the online life of that paedophile. Nothing more, nothing less," Mr Dutton said.

AFP Commissioner Reece Kershaw said "perverted offenders" were using the dark web to evade law enforcement and commit "heinous crimes".

"We are seeing more videos, younger children ... we are seeing the rape and torture of our children, all for sexual gratification," he told the National Press Club on Wednesday.

The search powers of AUSTRAC, the nation's financial intelligence unit that tracks money laundering and financial terrorism, allow it to conduct wide-ranging searches within strict rules to gather intelligence on an individual or group.

Mr Dutton has referred to those powers as an example of what security agencies hunting paedophiles online could have.

"[AUSTRAC chief executive Nicole Rose] has the ability to look at millions of transactions, to look for payments made from an Australian paedophile to a syndicate in the Philippines that is sexually abusing children," he said.

"She can look at the transactions and put together an intelligence picture. Nobody is asking for any more than that ... it's a debate worth having."

(continued)

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-02-19/powers-for-asd-spy-dark-web-australians/11980728

#8181821 at 2020-02-19 08:05:21 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #7 - FIRE & FURY Edition

256 Australians spend more than $1.3 million watching child sexual abuse online

More than 250 Australians have spent more than $1.3 million to watch child sexual abuse, live streamed on the internet from the Philippines, over 13 years.

The Australian Institute of Criminology (AIC) compiled the data in a landmark study of criminal behaviour online and found the majority of the Australians paying for what has been dubbed "webcam child sex tourism" were aged in their 50s and 60s.

More than half had no criminal record and were from a range of occupations. They included aged care workers, gardeners and even one housewife.

The AIC matched more than 2,700 transaction records between 2006 and 2018, provided by the Australian Transaction Reports and Analysis Centre (AUSTRAC).

The financial details belonged to Australians linked to people arrested for child sexual exploitation in the Philippines.

Some payments to watch children being abused were less than $49.

The institute said the live streaming of child sexual abuse was "distinct from other child sexual abuse material shared on the internet due to the 'real-time' element".

"Offenders often request how they want the child to be sexually abused either before or during the live streaming session," the report said.

Of the 256 Australians who paid to watch children being abused, more than half made more than one payment, with the AIC stating there was "clear evidence of escalation in the frequency and potential severity of offending in the financial transactions made to [child sexual abuse] live stream facilitators".

The institute was unable to determine exactly what led to some transactions being worth more, but argued it could be a case of a higher price being charged for more egregious and sickening abuse.

The report, released today, coincides with an address to the National Press Club (NPC) in Canberra by the new Commissioner of the Australian Federal Police, Reece Kershaw, AUSTRAC boss Nicole Rose and the AIC's chief Michael Phelan on countering child sexual exploitation and abuse.

Ms Rose said the Philippines was a "hub" for the live streaming of child sexual abuse.

"This can be sadly attributed to factors of poverty, a high level of English speaking, strong internet coverage and reliable services to facilitate payment," she said.

"It's alarming there's a continuing trend of Australians purchasing viewing and directing the abuse of children on the internet. While these offenders may try to stay under the radar at home, a pattern of crime escalation may compel them to travel out of the country to offend."

The trio are calling for stronger legislation to tackle encryption online, in a bid to pursue child abusers and paedophiles hiding in the darkest reaches of the internet.

"We are seeing more videos, younger children, more violence, we are seeing the rape and torture of our children all for sexual gratification," Commissioner Kershaw told the NPC.

"Australian offenders are involved in producing this material, they travel to impoverished places and they exploit vulnerable children.

"They use the dark web like a weapon, they use encryption like a sword and anonymity like a shield."

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-02-19/australians-paying-to-watch-child-sex-abuse-online/11979844

—

Australians who view live streaming of child sexual abuse: An analysis of financial transactions

Australian Institute of Criminology

Abstract:

In recent years, there has been growing evidence of live streaming technologies being used to facilitate child sexual abuse (CSA). This study examined a sample of financial transactions made by a cohort of Australians who provided funds to known facilitators of CSA live streaming in the Philippines.

The results showed that these individuals were likely to be aged in their 50s or 60s and the majority (55%) had no criminal record. Ten percent had a sexual offence recorded in their criminal history.

Most CSA live streaming transactions involved a small proportion of individuals. Just three percent accounted for half of all transactions. In contrast, 25 percent of individuals made just three percent of transactions.

As individuals purchased more CSA live streaming transactions, the median amounts they paid increased and the transactions became more frequent. These two variables were significantly correlated. This may reflect an escalation in the frequency and severity of offending.

https://www.aic.gov.au/publications/tandi/tandi589

#6676004 at 2019-06-05 08:27:43 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #5 - Shill count HIGH Edition

Australia suffers second worst mass shooting since 1996
RP from QRes#8528

Four are dead and one is injured in Australia's second deadliest mass shooting since the 1996 Port Arthur massacre in Tasmania. A 45-year-old gunman began opening fire with a pump-action shot gun at a motel in the northern city of Darwin before opening fire at other nearby locations in the city's central business district around 6 p.m. Monday. Pump-action shotguns are largely prohibited in the country under sweeping legislation passed in the aftermath of the Port Arthur shooting, where 35 people were killed.

"He shot up all the rooms, and he went to every room looking for somebody, and he shot them all up," John Rose, a witness, told Australia's public broadcaster. "Then we saw him rush out, jump into his Toyota pickup and rush off." Police said the man was out of prison on parole and was wearing an electronic monitoring bracelet. After about an hour police took the suspect into custody.

Northern Territory Police Commissioner Reece Kershaw said that they were still working on establishing a motive for the shooting. "We're still trying to establish the intent and motivation behind this, but all I can say, sadly, is that people have lost their lives this evening," Kershaw said. Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said that the shooting was not terrorism-related. "I have been in contact with Chief Minister Gunner and understand this is not an act of terrorism and a person has been taken into custody. My thoughts are with Territorians and the tight-knit community in Darwin," he tweeted.

In addition to prohibiting pump-action shotguns, the strict gun control measures passed after the Port Arthur shooting also banned automatic and semi-automatic assault rifles, except in rare circumstances. It also created a national gun registry and a temporary buyback program.

https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/australia-suffers-second-worst-mass-shooting-since-1996

https://twitter.com/Steph_Zillman/status/1135858138664411136?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

https://twitter.com/ScottMorrisonMP/status/1135871601818267648?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

#6675872 at 2019-06-05 07:28:48 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #5 - Shill count HIGH Edition

Gunman kills 4 people in Darwin, Australia.
(More RP from QRes#8527)

Four people have been killed and a woman has been rushed to hospital with gunshot wounds to her legs after a Darwin man allegedly went on a shooting rampage across the city tonight.

Parts of Darwin were thrown into lockdown before 6pm as police scoured the city to find the alleged gunman, believed to be armed with a sawn-off shotgun.

NT Police Duty Superintendent Lee Morgan confirmed to news.com.au four people were dead and two more had gunshot wounds.

Mr Morgan said police were unable to confirm if more people had been killed.

We're still working through a number of crime scenes so we still don't know if there are others," he said.

Speaking at a press conference tonight, NT Police Commissioner Reece Kershaw said the alleged gunman had been out on parole after being freed from jail in January.

Mr Kershaw said the alleged gunman was well-known to police and was wearing an electronic monitoring bracelet tonight as he evaded officers through Darwin.

https://www.news.com.au/national/northern-territory-police-searching-for-alleged-gunman-in-darwin/news-story/fcb40bb74d83488bc00507b3837882a7

#6675837 at 2019-06-05 07:19:16 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #5 - Shill count HIGH Edition

Multiple fatalities, man arrested after shooting in Darwin

A man who allegedly opened fire in Darwin on Tuesday night, killing four men and injuring a woman, can be identified as 45-year-old Ben Hoffmann.

Hoffmann was on parole and wearing an electronic monitoring bracelet when he allegedly opened fire with a pump-action shotgun in the Darwin city area about 5.45pm local time (6.15pm AEST) on Tuesday.

The shooting spree began at a motel in the suburb of Woolner, before the alleged gunman travelled to four other locations, including to the outskirts of the city.

Police arrested Hoffmann, known to his friends as "Hoffy", in the Stuart Park area of Darwin at 6.45pm.

NT Police Commissioner Reece Kershaw said officers were able to track down the suspected gunman after he contacted a police duty superintendent, who alerted others to his location.

"He asked to be placed into protective custody, which we did," Commissioner Kershaw said. "We do believe he may have been trying to hand himself in. We're not sure."

https://www.smh.com.au/national/multiple-fatalities-man-arrested-after-fatal-shooting-in-darwin-police-20190604-p51uj5.html

#6669993 at 2019-06-04 16:49:13 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #5 - Shill count HIGH Edition

Four dead in Darwin shooting - possible FF?

"Four men have been killed and a woman has been wounded after a gunman opened fire with a pump action shotgun in five different locations in Darwin.

The 45-year-old suspected gunman, who was on parole, was arrested after being on the run for about an hour following the shootings in and around a hotel in Darwin's CBD on Tuesday.

He was arrested at the busy Stuart Highway and McMinn Street intersection near where the shootings occurred, with television footage showing him on the ground after being dragged from under his white dual cab ute, kicking his legs at officers from NT Police's Territory Response Group.

The incident started with reports of a man firing shots at Finnis St at about 5.50pm just outside the Darwin CBD, with the four deaths occurring at the nearby Buffalo Club, Gardens Hill Crescent, the Palms Motel and Jolly Street.

He also tried to enter the Peter McCauley Centre police station to possibly hand himself in, then contacted a duty superintendent who did a "magnificent job in negotiating with him" before the arrest, Police Commissioner Reece Kershaw told reporters.

The alleged shooter is an outlaw motorcycle gang member, well known to police with a criminal history, and the incident is not believed to be terror-related.

Mr Kershaw said he was was released from prison on parole in January after serving at least a year, was wearing an electronic monitoring bracelet, and had acted alone on Tuesday."

Moar:
https://thewest.com.au/news/crime/four-dead-in-darwin-shooting-one-arrested-ng-s-1947878