Often someone blows the whistle because they believe that protected information to which they’ve been privy is within the public’s interest, and that the public has a right to know. If we start with the premise that government transparency is inherently good, which is the hill I will die on, then all that’s left to morally weigh up is whether or not this information was in the public’s interest to know. When revealing sensitive information, you might be a hero to one person and to another, a traitor.
In 2013 Chloe Preston, a young law clerk one week out from admission, was working alone in her boss’ home practice in Canberra, Australia’s capital city. Her boss was out of the office and in fact, out of the Country, as he had flown to The Hague just 24 hours earlier to help Timor-Leste prepare a case against Australia in the court of arbitrations. At around 9 o’clock that morning, the doorbell rang. Preston opened the door and was shocked to see ten officers waiting for her, including agents from the Australian security and Intelligence Organisation, or ASIO. The officers presented Preston with a warrant allowing them to search the property, although most of the warrant had been blacked out. When pressed, they explained their presence with the simple phrase ‘national security’...
Imagine a world where telling the truth was criminal… Welcome to The Whistleblowers, a podcast about the navigation of truth and deception in institutions from healthcare to prisons, from bikie gangs to the house of reps, from all around the world. Our first episode will be uploaded on the 2nd of November. Subscribe now to be notified when new episodes are ready. Follow us on social media: Instagram: @whistleblowerspodcast Twitter: @whistleblwers Email us at: thewhistleblowerspodcast@gmail.com