Over the years some very dear former colleagues have called me a heretical public servant. This is true and has been for over thirty years. During that time I've seen abuses of power normalised to an extent where Australia's federal government has created a police state. Since retiring in 2011 (more like a mutual divorce), I've been speaking out on these abuses.

Big data (which really means the collection of your personal data), the monitoring of media of all types (especially your social media activities) all combine with surveillance carried out by the security services. Driving the public to use government web sites while having weak ethical control over how the data is used is not simply a betrayal of the technology it’s a betrayal of YOU.

Most politicians are selectively blind and silent on this issue. Why? Because its been done slice by slice and its feeds two needs - the comfort and power of politicians and the empire building of the senior bureaucrats that serve them. YOU actually come last.

It is no accident that the Australian Public Service spends big on censoring and policing its own employees, especially their social media commentary. That’s about keeping YOU in the dark, hiding the truth and chilling the dialogue.

The Australian Government thinks it's in an IT and big data lolly shop where it can do as it damn well likes. And as the power of the technology grows so to do the dangers to our democracy and way of life.

What the Australian Government wants is a silent state. One where YOU shut up and cop it sweet. Why don't the vast majority of politicians speak out and act on these issues? Because doing so would threaten their comfort and power. More than that, however, because they know full well if they do they will face severe consequences.

Thankfully more people are speaking out and sharing their views of government via social media. Rebellion is in the ranks. The Australian Government does not like this. Politicians from all parties feed off being in control of the public dialogue. Such is the culture of politics.

Trying to create the impression that Russia will interfere in Australian federal elections is all too convenient - they can hardly come out and say YOU are interfering. Claims about Russia are a distraction from the debate the Australian Government is afraid to have.

The Australian Government and its public service are geared up to keep people in the dark about the system of control they have evolved. Understanding how this system works and what it means for us all is, I believe, the key for getting some sanity and decency back into politics and the public service so that both actually serve YOU.

Its time to put an end to Australia’s silent state.

In a democracy you get to vote for politicians who will represent you. Australia's federal parliament represents the will of the people. Its the job of government to govern for people. There it is pure and simple. Vote every few years and let the politicians get on with it. The people have spoken and, as has been said to me many a time by members of various parties, thats the end of the matter.

How wonderfully simple that view is. However, its a view rooted in the past. In simpler times where father knew best. How else do you explain how, to this day, politics is mostly the domain of males besotted with warrior leaders and why many of the relatively few female politicians learn that the way to get on is to behave like the blokes. Thats a contentious view I know, but the exception does not disprove the rule.

And what has the past given Australia? A so-called democracy riddled with paternalism. Where decisions and messages come from on high and the publics role is to shut up and cop it. Its given us a system controlled by a political class and, as you will see, a system that is built on keeping the general public at bay. A system that consists of mazes and rabbit holes hidden inside the mysterious black box that is government. 

Now lets dive into the rabbit holes and navigate the mazes.