Ludlam's TrapWire questions go unanswered

Summary: Greens Senator Scott Ludlam may have to use "other mechanisms" to reveal whether the Australian Government is using TrapWire to spy on Australians, after his motion to force the truth failed today.


The Australian Senate has voted against answering questions about the video-surveillance system known as TrapWire.

Greens Senator Scott Ludlam asked the Senate today to question the government on whether TrapWire is being used locally. His motion was denied, however, without calling for a division of the assembly.

Following the vote, Ludlam addressed the Senate, expressing his bafflement over why the motion was denied.

"It simply asks — yes or no — whether these systems are deployed anywhere in Australia. It doesn't make any accusations. We don't even have a clear idea of exactly what this pattern-recognition surveillance system does, but I'm seeking to ascertain whether or not it is used by any Commonwealth agency.

"I would have thought that was a fairly straightforward request."

The issue does not appear to be over, however, with Ludlam reinviting the government to address the chamber on the issue "so that we don't have to use other mechanisms".

http://www.zdnet.com/au/ludlams-trapwire-questions-go-unanswered-7000002648/

____ wrote on Aug 15^th, 2012 at 4:56pm:


Some of these Australians, I mean the freshly minted ones, will NEVER be Australian. They hold a passport of convenience. I want any Australian gov't vigilant and if that includes trapwire or other systems to watch them then so be it.

A message to you from our PM: your mother was/is a prostitute.

To those who want to spy on me I say: "go for it because I ain't got nuthin to hide."

And yes, Gillard likes prostitutes but I don't know how Abbott feels about them.