Sweeping crackdown on political criticism in Australia

Hear no evil, see no evil...

In Australia, the Tony Abbott government is continuing its war on public discourse.

Scorched-earth policies Down Under...

For starters, it has proposed to ban consumer boycotts of corporations that destroy or degrade the environment--a tack for which it has been strongly criticized by ALERT.

Now, it has enacted sweeping new rules to limit criticism of its actions by Australian public employees. 

In effect, any significant criticism of the government on any type of social media--including Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Flickr, blogs, forums, and Wikipedia--is banned forthwith.

Such rules apply even if the criticism is made anonymously.

Not only that, but employees are being told they must dob in their colleagues, if they should ever see any such criticisms.  Those who fail to abide could be sacked.

From an environmental perspective, these developments are alarming because the Abbott government is under fire for a growing battery of sins--the worst by any Australian government in memory, as summarized in this recent blog by ALERT member Corey Bradshaw.

Speak no evil....  George Orwell would be proud...