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ATTORNEY-GENERAL: Stop the war on whistleblowers

Military whistleblower David McBride was sentenced to more than five years in prison for exposing alleged war crimes in Afghanistan.

Tax office whistleblower Richard Boyle faces criminal trial and possible prison time after exposing unethical debt recovery practices at the Australian Taxation Office.

It's cold-hard proof that the laws meant to protect whistleblowers are broken. 

The Attorney-General has acknowledged this – and yet has failed to enact proper law reform. 

Now, he is the only person with the power to drop the prosecution against Richard Boyle and pardon David McBride. 

Intense public pressure has forced the Attorney General to drop an unjust prosecution once before. Now, we need him to do it again.

✍️Take a few moments to call on Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus KC to: 

  • Stop prosecuting Richard Boyle and pardon David McBride.
  • Accelerate reform of our broken whistleblower protection laws.
  • Establish a whistleblower protection authority.
  • Edit the draft email: The draft message to the Attorney-General will need to be personalised before it can be sent. This is because personalised emails are more powerful and more likely to be read.
  • Introduce yourself: Your email is more powerful if it is personalised. Tell the AG a bit about yourself, for example: where you live. If you feel comfortable doing so, including whether you have voted for/been a member of the ALP in the past is extra powerful.
  • Express your dismay: The AG needs to know our communities are outraged by the ongoing prosecution of whistleblower Richard Boyle, the imprisonment of David McBride, and its implications for our democracy, media, and accountability. 
  • Demand the Attorney-General act: The most powerful thing you can say is – in your own words – that you expect the Attorney General to act.
  • Be polite: Your email will not be read if it includes insults or abuse, so please remain respectful. That doesn't mean you can't be passionate though!