Who is the CCC trying to protect? asks Peter Van Onselen
In this weeks The Sunday Times, respected political commentator Peter Van Onselen says that:
"In recent months, the extraordinary powers of the CCC have given cause to question the findings and methods of its operations".
Van Onselen was alluding to Edmund Burke's warning that "The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing."
He refers to Malcolm McCusker's "scathing review about the most secretive and unaccountable authority in the state." - the CCC, and supports the way McCusker has discharged his role as the Parliamentary Inspector of the CCC and more importantly supports the views McCusker has expressed in his reports which highlight the appalling way it has operated.
Van Onelen castigates the CCC for wasting time bugging politicians, bureaucrats and lobbyists and says it should like its NSW counterpart "go after drug dealers and murderers." - a function is has ignored in its five year existence.
Van Onselen says in the article
:
"In a democracy we should value our liberties and our freedoms. Sadly, the CCC does neither. It can invade people's privacy and go unchecked. When it is questioned as to the findings it issues from such invasions it seeks to further shield itself from review, as evidenced by its reaction from McCusker's criticisms."
The Desert Rat say bring on the review and we will see how many CCC officers get are charged misconduct and criminal offences. One certainty is that the CCC will desperately try to stop any independent review.
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