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Parkin was peaceful: ASIO
Monday 31 October, 2005: Deported US peace activist Scott Parkin was not involved in violent activity, the head of ASIO admitted tonight, in apparent contradiction of Attorney-General Philip Ruddock.
Responding to questioning by Senator Bob Brown in a hearing of the Senate Estimates Committee, ASIO Director-General Paul O'Sullivan confirmed that Mr Parkin was not involved in violence.
Asked if Mr Parkin had been violent while in Australia, Mr O'Sullivan said.
"I understand there was some background while he was in the United States, but I believe the answer to your question in respect to Australia is no."
Mr O'Sullivan also denied any knowledge of an alleged leak from ASIO to The Australian newspaper and refused to vouch for the accuracy of a report in The Australian that Mr Parkin advocated violent protest techniques.
Mr Sullivan's answer appeared to contradict earlier statements on ASIO's security assessment of Mr Parkin by Attorney-General Philip Ruddock. Mr Ruddock, speaking on ABC radio shortly after Mr Parkin was detained in September, said that "ASIO is responsible for protecting the Australian community from all forms of politically motivated violence, including violent protest activity, and they've made an assessment in relation to those matters."
In September, in response to a Senate question about the nature of Mr Parkin's negative security assessment, Justice Minister Chris Ellison also said that it was ASIO's role to protect Australians from "violent protest activity".
"Mr Ruddock told Australians that ASIO made an assessment of Scott in relation to violent protest activity," Iain Murray, an Australian friend of Mr Parkin, said.
"Now we hear from the head of ASIO that this was not in fact the case."
Mr Murray called on the Attorney-General to immediately reveal to Mr Parkin the exact nature of the ASIO assessment.
"Now that ASIO has admitted that Scott was not involved in violence, Mr Ruddock should be on the phone to Scott or his lawyers immediately to explain exactly what it is that he is supposed to have said or done to warrant this appalling treatment at the hands of our Government."