Recent police raids in Australia targeting newsrooms and journalists have raised serious concerns about civil liberties and the protection of journalists and their sources.

Police descended on the newsroom at the Australian Broadcasting Corporation and on the home of a journalist with News Corp following stories of alleged misconduct by Australian special forces in Afghanistan.

That has raised questions as to whether the Australian government is doing enough to protect those trying to expose wrongdoing and whether there is adequate Whistleblower protection in that country.

Newfoundland and Labrador Citizen’s Representative Bradley Moss says local whistleblower legislation does not specifically protect journalists from that type of invasive measure.

He says in this case, it is a criminal issue and it would be in the best interest of the party on the receiving end of the warrant to seek legal counsel.

He says provincial whistleblower legislation protects the identity of the whistleblower. He says it also protects their ability to move about the bureaucracy to collect information and not have to turn it over afterwards.