JULIAN ASSANGE AND PETER GRESTE

Because I do not agree with people over political differences does not mean that I should ignore the fact that as Australian citizens they should all be entitled to equal treatment.

Peter Greste, as a journalist, was treated criminally in Egypt, and the Australian government, albeit very  reluctantly, eventually went into some sort of action to get him released, not forgetting that one of his Al Jazeera colleagues was still held criminally by the Egyptian government.

Julian Assange is an Australian citizen and the Australian government has shown it is completely indifferent to doing anything to help him over the years when he has been illegally held in the Ecuadorian embassy and they have now kicked him out and handed him over to the UK government.

Now the USA has applied for him to be extradited to the USA to face several charges with Chelsea Manning over the saga of the Wikileaks published documents which exposed the USA's lies over the Iraq war and many other devious plots for which the US government needs to be charged - in the International criminal court in The Hague, together with its middle east ally, Israel.

All of this involves exposures, whistleblowers, journalists exposing the lies and cover-ups and somehow alerting people around the globe to what our governments are telling us - and not telling us and the cover-ups which fool most of the people most of the time.

Now we come to Peter Greste who worked for an organisation which was involved with exposing information which Israel and the United States do not want the middle east and others to know about.

Peter Greste says that Julian Assange is not a journalist and does not deserve to have the protection which government are supposed to give to journalists.

Governments are not only not supporting journalists, but are murdering them and/or exposing them to situations where they are not protected, are imprisoned and tortured and often murdered. Think of Khashoggi and the Saudi embassy in Turkey and another foul murder.

Greste was imprisoned in Egypt while doing his job. After a great battle he was released and managed to come home to Australia. Why doesn't Greste do something?

Why should Assange as an Australian citizen not be extended the same privileges and support and why don't more journalists in Australia speak out and complain? They forget how easily they could be next on the list, and their union as also not doing an awful lot to show support either.

The MEAA should hang its head in shame, and I as a retired unionist have watched most unions in Australia behave in the same disgusting way towards their trusting members.