Warring against sources: the Australian national security state, journalism and the public interest

In the course of Wednesday morning, with no settling of dust in order, a second raid by the AFP was executed against the Sydney offices of the national broadcaster, the ABC. Those named in the warrant – investigative journalists Dan Oakes and Sam Clark, along with ABC director of news Gaven Morris – were linked to The Afghan Files, a set of ghoulish stories in 2017 revealing allegations of unlawful killings by Australian special forces in Afghanistan. Australia's national security state has gotten very busy indeed.

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison, when pressed about Smethurst's case, was untroubled. Having played the role of fatherly minder of the Australian nation, he was not going to let any alleged breach of security go by. Currently on a visit to the United Kingdom, he expressed little concern about the morning raid on a journalist's home: "it never troubles me that our laws are being upheld."

While News Corp has its demonic familiars (Rupert Murdoch's influence hangs heavily), it was hard to disagree with the premise advanced by a spokesperson. "This raid demonstrates a dangerous act of intimidation towards those committed to telling uncomfortable truths. The raid was outrageous and heavy handed."

The Federal Parliamentary Press Gallery, voicing agreement, considered the police raid "an outrageous move that should concern all Australians who value their freedom in an open society." With confidence, the statement asserted that it was "in the public interest for us to know of any plan for greater powers to monitor our messages."

Chris Merritt, legal affairs editor of The Australian, saw the raid as an ominous signal to all investigative scribblers. "Welcome to modern Australia – a nation where police raid journalists in order to track down and punish the exposure of leaks inside the federal government". But such an Australia was also chugging along merrily before the raid on Smethurst's home. (Like the unsuspecting priest living in a dystopian surveillance state, the police finally came for them.)

Should Assange ever make a return to the country of his birth, he is unlikely to find peace in this US satellite state, with its flimsy public disclosure and whistleblowing laws, its mirage-like protections. Hunting publishers, journalists and their sources is de rigueur down under.