PERSONS OF INTEREST, our Walkley Award nominated, ASIO TV series commences it's premier season on SBS-TV next Tuesday January 7th at 8.30 p.m. Each week we give someone their previously secret intelligence file and ask them to answer the allegations it contains. These are the files that blighted lives, destroyed careers and broke up families. In the hunt for communists and subversives the end justified the means. ASIO fed politicians the fear they could on sell to the electorate. This created a cosy relationship between Government and it's spies to the mutual benefit of both.
Persons Of Interest details four files, one each week. Roger Milliss journalist, Michael Hyde student revolutionary, Gary Foley aboriginal activist and Frank Hardy, communist author. The files of these four men are revealed against the backdrop of some of the great events of the twentieth century. These are personal stories in a political landscape. Funny, tragic, even absurd - these stories are the secret history of Australia and the power of the intelligence agencies.
With the current scandal involving the NSA, Edward Snowden and Australian intelligence agencies spying on friends for the benefit of oil companies; PERSONS OF INTEREST is the history we can learn from. With intelligence agencies seemingly running their own agenda, politicians too frightened to say no and little effective oversight, intelligence agencies have more power than ever. PERSONS OF INTEREST is a timely addition to an important debate.