21 July 2009

Gazza heads to the barricades over ASIO Battlestar

| johnboy
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The ABC brings word that the Liberal Senator Gary Humphries is taking up cudgels on behalf of hysterical Campbell residents upset about the vast new facility ASIO is building itself at the end of Anzac Parade.

    Senator Humphries says he is not sure it is the right building for an area which planners hope will become a grand boulevard.

    “I think with these setbacks that we’re looking at with this ASIO headquarters I just can’t see that this is going to be compatible with the concept of that was designed by Burley Griffin and which has recently been reinforced with the Griffith Legacy concept which has been affirmed by the NCA,” he said.

    National planners have dismissed claims the new headquarters will become a ‘barbed wire city’ in the heart of Canberra.

The spooks have posted lengthy details about their proposed building on their website.

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Christ guys I posted the number in Riotact the other day [click] and no one as yet has come along and take………..[muffled sounds]

Gungahlin Al6:28 pm 22 Jul 09

caf said :

I can’t believe I’m going to do this, but…

peterh, they’re in the Whitepages.

Well caf that just ensured you an entry in their files!
“What’s that funny clicking sound on our telephone lately?”

You know you have the right number for ASIO when the person answers the phone by sheepishly saying, “Hello…” and you can picture beady eyes looking from side to side.

caf said :

I can’t believe I’m going to do this, but…

The building looks more like a Basestar than a Battlestar (the former are the aliens’ ships and the latter the humans’).

peterh, they’re in the Whitepages.

not the number i had.

I can’t believe I’m going to do this, but…

The building looks more like a Basestar than a Battlestar (the former are the aliens’ ships and the latter the humans’).

peterh, they’re in the Whitepages.

Gungahlin Al said :

How do you know Skid? They’re not allowed to say who they work for.

a couple of times in the past, I had phoned their “switch” and a newbie has answered – usually with the department name and a quiet “aaargh” in the background. suffice to say, the newbie isn’t there next time I called.

Dont ask me for the number now, I don’t have it.

That doesn’t mean nobody knows though.
(And the Canberra paranoid-for-work-purposes community is a pretty small world)

Just facebook search ASIO and see how many names come up, SPYS!!! all of them.

Gungahlin Al10:59 am 22 Jul 09

How do you know Skid? They’re not allowed to say who they work for.

PS: I don’t hate all ASIO staff, some of them are nice people.

Gungahlin Al10:46 am 22 Jul 09

Wraith said :

Political grandstanding from Gazza here, too late I am thinking, its being built.

Do we seriously think the design for this building started less than a year ago? That it DIDN’T start when Gary himself was in Government?

Grandstanding? +1
Too late? +1 (deliberately methinks – be seen to be doing something while knowlingly not going to impact it)

The alternative is to admit that he had no idea what was going on around him, despite numerous mentions in local media.

Seeing the way you all feel about ASIO, I wouldn’t tell you if I did work there. Or do i?

Incompetence is merely a cover-up for the colossal consipiracy.

Believe in conspiracy? God no.
“Any investigable event with Government involvement which may be explained by either incompetence or conspiracy, colossal incompetence will almost always be the most correct explanation.” was something I was taught way back in Russian history studies.

I have never applied, and have no reason nor inclination to apply.
We just had a few people here who were recruited into mystery ‘Attorney Generals Department’ roles after their last recruitment round, who were completely unable keep where they were going a secret.
We were happy to see them gone, but their standard of graduate intake seems unimpressive.

Their most recent court case involving a leak to the media involved a judge labelling the accused as having a ‘standard of professional behavioural incompetence’, by the way.
I just believe in justifiable performance rewards, not “We think we are important so deserve an imposing presence on the political landscape”.
Until I hear a good reason to sing their praises (instead of the usual grumbled mutterings) from people who work with them, I’ll stick with their repuation for being the Legion of Incompetents.

Political grandstanding from Gazza here, too late I am thinking, its being built.

ahappychappy9:07 am 22 Jul 09

kos said :

screaming banshee said :

kos said :

There is no such thing as a TS Classification building, TS is a data classification. (couldnt help myself)

Cant enter the building unescorted unless you are TS or above then I would say that yes, the building is classified.

The building would be certified to ASIO T4 spec or as an “Intruder Resistant” or “Secure Area”. TOP-SECRET is a classification that is given to data with a value of TOP-SECRET. Buildings or areas do not get rated to a data classification (eg you dont have a “IN-CONFIDENCE” building). Ask your local ASA for a copy of the PSM if you want more info 🙂

+1, this was my earlier point above. Just because a clearance level is needed to enter an area does not mean this area is rated to that level.

Ha Ha Skidbladnir sour grapes you’re rejected by them, or are you a One Nation type Conspiracy theorist.

Just been on the CT website and noticed that ASIO are advertising for intellegence analysts. It’s worth a look (but don’t tell anyone)

With the staff wearing hijab?

At least they didn’t try to build it in Nicholls

Anybody consider that this may just be a decor ASIO headquarters. In fact, there may exist a whole decoy version of ASIO. The decoy is filled with inept and incompetent employees who leak like incontinent fools and are in plain sight. The real one is in a bunker under Russell offices. Think about it!

KandyA said :

Boo!
they should be put up in an underground bunker, accessible only by elevator a-la CONTROL, underneath a fruit and veg shed at the Vic Markets, and they should all come to work wearing overalls and disguised as Con the Fruiterer. And driving forklifts, or in the back of potato trucks.

If they really need to be in Canberra they could go underneath the Fyshwick markets – CONVENIENTLY BEING REBUILD AT THE MOMENT…!

I was having a similar thought as I drove past the construction site the other day, they should just leave the barbed wire fences there, not build anything and put an ASIO sign up the front. The ultimate secret headquarters!

screaming banshee said :

kos said :

There is no such thing as a TS Classification building, TS is a data classification. (couldnt help myself)

Cant enter the building unescorted unless you are TS or above then I would say that yes, the building is classified.

The building would be certified to ASIO T4 spec or as an “Intruder Resistant” or “Secure Area”. TOP-SECRET is a classification that is given to data with a value of TOP-SECRET. Buildings or areas do not get rated to a data classification (eg you dont have a “IN-CONFIDENCE” building). Ask your local ASA for a copy of the PSM if you want more info 🙂

screaming banshee7:43 pm 21 Jul 09

kos said :

There is no such thing as a TS Classification building, TS is a data classification. (couldnt help myself)

Cant enter the building unescorted unless you are TS or above then I would say that yes, the building is classified.

Ozi said :

Skidbladnir said :

PS: Those details on yonder website aren’t lengthy. But I guess its an ‘ongoing national security concern’?

They are lengthier than I would expect for a TS Classification building! Personally, I think the building looks great. Nice location too.

There is no such thing as a TS Classification building, TS is a data classification. (couldnt help myself)

Skidbladnir said :

I would also like to take a moment to say hello to my friends [REDACTED] and [CENSORED] who work at [DATA EXPUNGED].
When I met [REDACTED] over coffee this morning at the cafe in [DATA EXPUNGED] she said [REMARK STRICKEN FROM RECORD] and then we had our photos taken by fourteen different security cameras in the area.

Seriously, why do their national headquarters need to be city-central?

not really city central, closer to the Russell hill complex and the ONA, would be easy to tunnel interconnect to these buildings. it isn’t really at the end of Anzac Parade, just further along constitution ave, down near the RSL HQ. It is a prime location for this department, and would mean that there would be less distance to safehand documentation between the DoD, ONA and APH.

caf said :

To be nearby most of the places that they have to safehand stuff to and from.

allegedly safehand alleged stuff in some (undisclosable) places, either to, from, or neither of the previous. 😉

Wierd, I thought that kind of thing was a personnel operation and not a building function (unless we use vaccuum tubes?).

But landmark architectural lakeside real-estate?
Things like that should be organisational rewards, and not ‘give us X and we promise we will do it better…” encouragement devices for your weakest links.

To be nearby most of the places that they have to safehand stuff to and from.

I would also like to take a moment to say hello to my friends [REDACTED] and [CENSORED] who work at [DATA EXPUNGED].
When I met [REDACTED] over coffee this morning at the cafe in [DATA EXPUNGED] she said [REMARK STRICKEN FROM RECORD] and then we had our photos taken by fourteen different security cameras in the area.

Seriously, why do their national headquarters need to be city-central?

ahappychappy4:17 pm 21 Jul 09

Ozi said :

TS Classification building!

Why do you say that? 😉

cough* Spy cough*

Boo!
they should be put up in an underground bunker, accessible only by elevator a-la CONTROL, underneath a fruit and veg shed at the Vic Markets, and they should all come to work wearing overalls and disguised as Con the Fruiterer. And driving forklifts, or in the back of potato trucks.

If they really need to be in Canberra they could go underneath the Fyshwick markets – CONVENIENTLY BEING REBUILD AT THE MOMENT…!

Skidbladnir said :

PS: Those details on yonder website aren’t lengthy. But I guess its an ‘ongoing national security concern’?

They are lengthier than I would expect for a TS Classification building! Personally, I think the building looks great. Nice location too.

Considering ASIO were a terrific source of Western intel for the KGB all throughout the Cold War, and currently
a) hires the people who fail to make it into ASIS; and
b) picks up the staff other Departments are glad to see the back of because they can’t be trusted; and
c) leaks like a sieve,

do they really deserve a City-central, Lakeside, architectural landmark building?

PS: Those details on yonder website aren’t lengthy. But I guess its an ‘ongoing national security concern’?

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