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INSIDE The bone-headed pursuit of Abbott and Cooper ought to be seen as a pursuit ofevery person who wants to engage in a genuinely free and healthy democracy. JANET ALBRECHTSEN PI? IN PURSUIT OF COMMONSENSE

Action Conference. I heard Abbott What we have is deliver that address. It was about a vexatious use the need for civility in politics: he asked us to be the best we can be. of the foreign How dreadfully subversive of him. In her letter to Abbott, sent the influence law day before he spoke on Saturday. August 9, Chidgey told Abbott JAN ET that. as a former cabinet minister, ALBRECHTSEN he has "a lifetime obligation to reg­ ister any activity you undertake on behalf of a foreign principal". The busy bureaucrat sent other letters during that week in August - to others involved with CPAC. After a follow-up email from another bureaucrat with the title of action officer. Abbott wrote back on Wednesday: "I decline to "It's oppressive, it's coercive. register and I suggest that you thought the commissars had gone rethink the making of such mis­ when the bloody Soviet Union placed and impe1tinent requests in went out ofbusiness. " the future. Surely officials of the has a knack for get­ commonwealth have better things ting to the nub of a problem, to do with their time." Abbott especially when he gets riled. This concluded by advising the action week Abbott spoke to The Week­ officer that "in the interests of end Australian about a most transparency I may make this bizarre pursuit of him by bureau­ response available to the media". crats in the Attorney-General's Last December, Attorney­ Department, using new laws General Christian Porter said the intended to weed out nefarious new foreign influence trans­ parency scheme would safeguard foreign influence undermining our democracy. the nation's democracy. "FITS will Abbott received a letter dated provide visibility of the forms and August 8 from the deputy secret­ sources of foreign influence in ary of the Integrity and Inter­ Australia's governmental and national Group of the A-G's political processes." he said. Department, Sarah Chidgey. Sam Dastyari spectacularly Chidgey is part of the team admin­ imploded his political career by accepting money from a company istering the Foreign Influence Transparency Scheme Act. which owned by Chinese billionaire came into effect last December. Huang Xiangmo to pay legal bills. The former prime minister There has been a rise in Chinese caught her attention because the propaganda emanating from Con­ fucius Centres at Australian uni­ media reported that he would speak at the Conservative Political versities. There were allegations that banned donor Huang gave

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$100,000 cash in a plastic Aldi bag leader , Brexit Party Party in Hong Kong, not a modern to NSW Labor's then general leader Nigel Farage and US and free Australia," Cooper said. secretary Jamie Clements at a Republican congressman Mark "They demand I provide emails of Meadows. I also spoke at the con­ ACU's conversations with all dinner in 2015. These, and many ference. CPAC speakers including ... other serious issues. raise legit­ Founded in 1974 by the ACU, Meadows and Farage. How can I imate questions about wicked for­ CPAC has a long heritage, with do that? It feels like the Stasi is eign influences in our democracy. Ronald Reagan delivering the holding me in 1950s East Berlin To root out these influences, inaugural address. ACU offered to and I am being threatened with the department has sent more help Cooper, paying for some US jail because I cannot provide than 500 courteous letters to a speakers to travel to Australia. them with information that I do range ofrecipients asking them to In the section 45(2) notice not have." consider whether they need to dated October 21, Chidgey The Weekend Australian register. The department also has demanded that Cooper provide understands that Porter was, to more draconian powers under sec­ documents to the department, put it mildly, incandescent with tion 45(2) to demand mountains of including, but not limited to, any rage when he learned, after he documents to establish whether a agreement, contract or other person is liable to register under document detailing any under­ asked for details, that this was the sole instance of the department the act. This notice carries serious standing between LibertyWorks consequences: it is a criminal of­ and the ACU, any invitations, issuing the draconian sect.ion 45(2) fence not to comply. with a maxi­ letters or other correspondence notice. And why wouldn't he be mum penalty ofsix months in jail. from LibertyWorks or the ACU livid? Going after Cooper, and not On Wednesday, The Weekend sent to individuals invited to speak a real threat to our democracy, Australian asked the department or attend CPAC, copies, tran­ makes a mockery ofthese laws and how many section 45(2) notices scripts or video or audio record­ the department. it has sent, and to whom. No ings of speeches made by the For reasons of probity, the answer. So much for transparency speakers at CPAC, including of Attorney-General has no power in our democracy. speeches by members of Liberty- to direct those departmental The next day, The Weekend bureaucrats who administer the Australian discovered this crack Works or the ACU to introduce r-ITS. But that independence team of eight bureaucrats charged or conclude the conference or a should not be a licence to use wide­ with exposing devious foreign specific day or event at the confer­ ranging laws that carry serious influences in our democracy has ence, summaries of topics covered penalties in highly questionable sent a single section 45(2) notice. by speakers at the conference, and circumstances. Not to one of the many Confucius material produced or distributed In response to questions about by LibertyWorks promoting Centres. Not to 1-lizb ut-Tahrir, a this debacle, Porter told The Muslim group that loathes democ­ CPACortheACU. The deadline is next Tuesday. Weekend Australian that "Whilst racy. The department's sole sec­ it would not be appropriate for me tion 45(2) notice was sent late last Cooper has invited the depart­ ment to treat what he told this to comment on individual cases of month to a bloke in Queensland compliance action, 1 have made it called Andrew Cooper, who runs a newspaper on Thursday as his response to their inquisition. "I will clear to my de1)artment that I one-man think tank advancing expect it to demonstrate a focus on freedom. It's called LibertyWorks not be complying with this notice despite the threat of criminal pros­ the most serious instances of non­ because freedom works in mys­ compliance. I'm not persuaded ecution and jail time," he said. "I terious ways in modern Australia. this focus has been pe1fectly If you haven't heard of Cooper, established Liberty Works to argue demonstrated to date." you will after the department's against this type of government Porter said that he expects a crazy pursuit of him. The Queens­ control over speech and citizens. I "rational triage" from his depart­ lander co-hosted CPAC in will not sell out our speakers and ment "that takes into account sev­ together with the American delegates by kowtowing to gov­ eral things. First ... where it is most Conservative Union. ernment overlords." clear that someone is acting on "I just wanted to run a confer­ Cooper fired up LibertyWorks behalf of a foreign principal rather ence," he told this newspaper this in 2016 after the crushing weight than cases where it is alternatively week. The aim was to thrash out of a federal bureaucracy - the arguable that no real arrangement ideas on the centre-right of politics poorly named Australian Human exists. Second ... priority should be among a range of people from con­ Rights Commission was given to the more serious activities servatives to libertarians from brought to bear against three that may be being undertaken. Australia, Britain and the US. Queensland University of And third, there should be a little Speakers included Abbott, former Technology students for making common sense brought into play." deputy prime minister John innocuous remarks about an Abbott told The Weekend Aus­ Anderson, senator Amanda Stok­ indigenous-only computer lab. tralian that he feels for his Liberal er, MP , former Labor "This is government overreach colleague as an important law goes worthy of the Chinese Communist

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off the rails at the hands of over­ The Weekend Australian. ment" and the intended scope zealous bureaucrats. 'Tm not Asked why he responded so of the nexus between a foreign being critical of ministers here forcefully to overzealous bureau­ principal and the person acting on because J know how easy it is for crats busying themselves with his their behalf are too vague, and the bureaucracy to turn well­ speaking diary, the former prime hence potentially far-reaching. intentioned government policy minister said: "We have got That's just for starters. The into something which turns out to ourselves into all sorts of predica­ scheme also vests extraordinary be radically different to what their ments over the years because powers in bureaucrats to demand ministers and staff intended." reasonable people have been documents, keep them and pass The department refused to too accommodating to unreason­ them on to others, including the comment to this newspaper about able people." tax office. its pursuit of Cooper or Abbott, The depa1tment also wrote to Within less than a year of its and tried to save face in a phone Ross Cameron, a former federal operation. these laws have not call with Abbott's office last week Liberal politician and speaker at been used to expose any nefarious by suggesting they weren't inter­ CPAC. In a case of dumb and Chinese foreign influencers. or ested in his attendance at CPAC dumber, they sent that letter to their local agents. But can you Cooper, asking him to forward it to imagine Chinese infiltrators being after all. But his address to a demo­ Cameron, and to advise them by so stupid as to get caught under graphic summit in Budapest host­ close of business the next day that this scheme? ed by the Hungarian government. he had done so. Cooper laughs this When laws can be used to well, that still rings alarm bells off too: "So they threaten me with target a former prime minister for about possible foreign influence. jail, and then expect me to be their speaking at a conservative confer­ In his email to Chidgey, Abbott agent so they can go after someone ence in Sydney that includes said: "(N)either speech of mine else?They can go and get stuffed." foreigners. and a bloke who hosted was given 'on behalf of a foreign Chidgey and other bureaucrats the event because the co-host is principal. I spoke for myself. that's in the A-G's Department a redoing from America. our closest ally in all. Any suggestion that I was a great job of turning Cooper into a the free world. then the law is an speaking on behalf of a foreign martyr for a very good cause - ass. And bad laws in the hands of entity is absurd." freedom. James Cook University overzealous bureaucrats are even He told The Weekend Austra­ did it when it sacked Peter Ridd for more chilling. The boneheaded lian that if he agreed to become speaking freely and testing evi­ pursuit of Abbott and Cooper by part of this scheme he would be dence. Rugby Australia did it, too, the A-G's Department ought to be conceding he was acting on behalf when it sacked a champion player seen as a pursuit of every person of foreign entities, "which I am not. for expressing his sincerely held who wants to engage in and enjoy and I never would". "Participating religious beliefs. But those sagas the fruits of a genuinely free and in some event doesn't mean you concern codes of conduct. Cooper healthy democracy. are acting on behalf of anyone will become a mega-martyr other than yourself,'. Abbott said. because he is being pursued under 'It is one thing for a politician to peddle guilt Remember when Labor sena­ federal law. by association, but the bureaucracy should tor insinuated in The evil nature of totalitarian­ not peddle guilt by association' a silly swipe in late July that con­ ism is not what happens outside servative politicians who spoke at the law. It happens when the law, TON\' ABBOTT CPAC would be condoning the or a veneer of legality, is used, views of everyone there? CPAC often in the name of national was trying to mastermind an alt­ security, to control what good right takeover, she said. It was people do, be it sharing ideas or demented logic but that's politics speaking out against tyranny. And - well, Keneally's kind of politics. it has to start somewhere, like the Bizarrely, the department sent oppressive pursuit of a man run­ letters to Abbott and Cooper with­ ning a freedom-loving think tank. in days of her comments, making it That said. these bureaucrats hard for these boffins inside the can't take all the blame. This Attorney-General's Department mess started with a Coalition to divorce themselves from the government that concocted. draft­ politics of the day. ed and enacted these laws. Though When the law of the land is the consequences are surely applied with a similarly foolish unintended. they are entirely logic, it is entirely more serious. "It predictable. is one thing for a politician to These new laws are riddled peddle guilt by association, but the with uncertainty about who must register, who is a foreign govern­ bureaucracy should not peddle ment, the meaning of an "arrange- guilt by association," Abbott told

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In accordance with this noll<.'l', you 3re required to produce any mformaHon or documents rele\'ant to the question of whether 1.JbertyWorks is liable to regi:,1cr .A».-ntlb.n CO\trnnHnl under the act in relation to lhe Amcnran Alt.,,_,..cmn-.r, l}r,pu"tmNI Conservative Union. This include:.. cop•~ of all documenL'i relating to thl' Orpul) Sttrdar, orgamsat1on of the ConsenaLM:' Polit1ca.l ln.k-Cfilr aod lnrtnWJouJ CnMip Action Conference of AU!,.'Llst 2019, including but not limiteJ to.

Any agreement. contract or other dorument detailing any under­ standing or arranh't'menl between libertyWorks and the ACU; 2. Any 1m1tat1on~. letters or other rorre;pondence from l.JhertyWork.s or the ACU ~t to 1nd1\'iduals invited to speak at or attend the ronfercnce. 111dudmg correspondt.'tlCC subsequent to the 1r11llal 1nvitat1on, J. Copies. transcnpt,; or video or audio recordings of st)('t'Chl.'S made by ~akers at the conferent-e, including speeches by memben, of LibertyWorks or the ACU to introduce or conciude the confermcc or a specific day or e\'ent at the conference. 4. Sum manes of the topics CO\ en.>d by s1>eakers at the conferencr: and 5. Matenal produced or d1stnhuted by LibertyWork., promotmg the conference of the ACU.

Failure to comply with tht~ notice by the elate ~,lied above 1s an olfonce. .. The maximum penalty for this offence 1s impn:,0omcnt for 6 months.

Uber1yWoOO founder Andrew Cooper. main pk:lure; ronner,,._ miniSler Tony AbboU speaking at CPAC last year, aboYe. ad lM lfael, sent 10 Cooper from the Allomey-GeneralS Departmm1

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