full text at: http://www.australian.aust.com/archive/15-Sep/n01.htm Howard moves to censor secrets By defence writer DON GREENLEES September 15: The Federal Government is renewing efforts to protect national defence and intelligence secrets under a revived system of media censorship. Cabinet's National Security Committee decided early this month to start talks with media executives on voluntary censorship and backed away from threats by the former government to impose $1 million ($US723,000) fines over publication of official secrets. But the Government will put the onus on the media to make voluntary censorship work or ultimately face legislation that would impose huge fines for disclosure of sensitive military and intelligence information. It comes almost two years after the Labor government reached an impasse with media executives over a proposal for a "voluntary" system backed by $1 million fines for a prohibited broadcast or publication. The move followed revelations by disaffected former Australian Secret Intelligence Service agents of spying operations and about the bugging by Australian intelligence of foreign embassies, including China's and Japan's. Senior sources said the six-member Cabinet security committee, chaired by John Howard, had decided to take a more conciliatory line than the former government by first trying a genuinely voluntary system to maximise the chances of winning media agreement.