The Gatekeepers Exposed
Hoist by their own petard.
The attitudes of the gatekeepers has been well documented in examples such as this interview with Denis Hughes of the Office of the Minister for Defence.
Excerpts from Contemporaneous Notes of Meeting between Mr John Peake and Mr Denis Hughes, Aerospace Adviser to the Minister for Defence, originally publisher at
http://www.ausairpower.net.
❝John Peake - Why can't Defence answer the criticisms with submissions (to the inquiry)?
Denis Hughes - Look, we deliberately don't ... if we answer one question, they will say "But..." And ask another. It will never stop. It invites more questions.
John Peake - Why don't you ask the Air Power Australia people to come in to explain to them?
Denis Hughes - No, it's the same. They won't be satisfied. You know, John, some people have vested interests.
John Peake - Yeah, mine is my Grandchildren's security.
Re: JSCFADT Inquiry and Submissions
Denis Hughes - Taxpayers are not that interested - only 35 odd submissions. No big deal!
John Peake - Have your read these in detail?
Denis Hughes - Well I have read, but no, you know, I have not studied them.
John Peake - By the way, why do we pay this guy Ross Babbage and the the Kokoda Foundation one million dollars.
Denis Hughes - Come on, he is independent.
John Peake - Rubbish - his organisation, Kokoda, is funded by Defence, everything he has written regurgitates the Air force line. It is a waste of tax payer's funds.
(Denis Hughes just smiled at this)
Denis Hughes - Look, I agree the F-22 can do ground attack, but we need big bombs and we don't want to buy the F-22, anyway.
Here comes the the old "we have classified information which changes the whole picture... " escape clause. This was one of the main points of my submission, that this sort of nonsense won't wash anymore. With advances in personal computers/ simulations / access to information and improved communication via the internet, anyone who cares to become well informed on such matters these days can do so. These paternalistic fob-offs just won't wash anymore.
- Peter Inglis
Denis Hughes - .. "we have now briefed all Committee Members with Classified Information and they are all happy."
John Peake - Did you get a quote [on the price of the F-22]?
Denis Hughes - " No. ...." &Anyway we don't want the F-22 and we won't be getting a quote..."
❞ So, their mind is made up and hang the evidence or the consequences.
❝Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?
- Juvenal 1C CE.
Who watches the Watchmen?)
❞ 
