Victorian Greens report new deal: collaboration by AquaSure, Department of Sustainability and Environment, Victoria Police to spy on lawful protestors |
First 5 of 5 paragraphs shown Susan Pennicuik, Greens Member for Southern Metropolitan told the Legislative Council the Party was shocked by a secret memorandum of understanding (MOU) between the secretary of the Department of Sustainability and Environment, Victoria Police and AquaSure entitled Standing Operating Procedures: Demonstrations — Protest Action, for spying on anti-desalination project protestors. Routine to spy on lawful protestors: "I remind the house that at the time the government was questioned about that particular memorandum about the sharing of information, including photographs, video and private information about individuals, between the private company, the police and the department, the Minister for Water, Mr Holding, declared that it was a routine thing that was done'. Private companies share police data: "... if it is a routine thing that is done, it is not known to the community that it is a routine thing for such MOUs to be signed with private companies for the sharing of police data". Lies and secrets: 'It has been done in secret. It came to light not through the government releasing the MOU and putting it up on the website saying, ‘This is what is going to happen’ but under freedom of information. That particular memorandum and the memorandum we are talking about here infringe on people’s rights and are a matter for the Law Reform Committee to look at, because it is not clear that they are even legal activities. The Law Reform Committee should be looking very seriously at the issues that arise from these two memorandums. These are secret memorandums, and the contracts between the government and the company that is going to build the desalination plant are secret. It is unknown to the community that these activities are going on." ...Log in to read rest of Article or image. |