Our Great Democracy, under siege from within...

I've said it once, and I'll say it again: Julia Gillard and the broader ALP hate democracy and they hate freedom of speech. It is starting to come to light the lengths to which Gillard has gone to silence those who dare question her or her government. It has been revealed that News Ltd entities, including The Australia, had intended on covering a story regarding the previous relationship between our Prime Minister and former Australian Workers Union state secretary Bruce Wilson. Wilson, for those who may not be aware, is a criminal, a thief who stole from the union and betrayed the hard working members who he was supposed to be representing. And yes, this occurred while Wilson and Gillard were in a romantic relationship. Now while Gillard was not aware of Wilson's illegitimate dealings or ill-gotten gains, it does call into question the issue of her judgement, especially in light of the current Thomson Affair. So how does this relate to the media? Well, showing her true union heavy colours, Gillard decided to lean on The Australia and bully them into submission...

After hearing what News Ltd, and especially her arch-enemy The Australia, were up to, Gillard reportedly went ballistic, losing it at the thought that a private media enterprise would have the nerve to publish a story in the public interest. So what did she do? Call lawyers and consult on potential defamation? Seek an injunction to stop the story from going to print? Oh no, these methods are fair and transparent; no, she would take matters into her own hands. Gillard herself called John Hartigan, the Chairman and CEO of News Ltd Australia, as well as Chris Mitchell, the editor-in-chief of The Australian, and let them have it. Reports are coming out that she went "ballistic, nuclear" and called again and again in a harassing manner, demanding that they leave the story alone or "face the consequences". This was undoubtedly in reference to the suggested media inquiry into News Ltd and the threat of a forced break-up of the organisation. In response, the story was buried, one of Australia most popular commentators, Andrew Bolt, was shut down and told not to make any reference to it; the organisation was, essentially, silenced.

The biggest threat to our great democracy...

This, quite frankly, scares me. When you have a leader of a nation, who was democratically elected, calling and harassing the head of a media network and DEMANDING that a story which would paint them in an unfavourable light is buried, then you begin the descent down a slippery slope. Let us consider, for a minute, that News Ltd had told Gillard where to go, what then? Would her next step be to send in the police, claiming some phony cover such as national security? If the police are not available, then why not send in the troops? Then, in the longer term, why not just nationalise all media outlets so that they all dance to the beat of the same propaganda drum? Some of you may think that I am being a little over the top, but when the Prime Minister personally intervenes in the affairs of a private organisation simply because she doesn't like what they are saying, then I think that we, as citizens of a democratic, free nation, need to start asking a few of these tough questions that Gillard believes News Ltd need to answer! I'll start:

Prime Minister Gillard, why is it that you hate freedom so much?

Why do you want to silence those brave enough to ask the tough questions? Is it because you have something to hide?

How could you not have known what Wilson was up to? Were you involved?

How can we trust you given that you are so proficient in the art of deception and speak nothing but lies?

This whole event has made me sick. It is disgust the casual disregard that the PM shows to the freedom of both the citizenry and our media. The media must - must! - always be free to expose incompetence and corruption. Gillard and her government are both incompetent and, I believe, corrupt. The only thing which is currently standing between us and Gillard's true tyranny are News Ltd and, unlike Bob Brown, I thank God for the likes of The Australian and other outlets willing to pursue our elected officials and hold them up to the bright spotlight so that the public might see what they are really up to. Before I sign off, I have one final question for Julia Gillard:

Prime Minister, when will you do what is in the best interest of this great nation and end this farcical government and it's rein of incompetence?