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Here's an opinion on our useless Government's farcical privacy bill.

If you have something to say to the Government, tell the Parliament what you think by May 12.

alexgp

Here's my suggestions as to who to contact if you want to: (I'm going to give you websites, not email address - you'll have to click through. I really don't want to instigate the /.-ing of my government :) )

You can find email addresses for ministers on this page. The Prime Minister's page is here. The Leader of the Opposition's page is here. The email address of every member of the House of reps is here. Senate addresses here. Be careful please :)
If nothing else, they're not all of the party in power...

Ministers in the government:
Hon John Howard MP, Prime Minister of Australia.
Senator the Hon Richard Alston, Minister for Communications, Information Technology and the Arts.

Shadow ministers (ie in opposition - not of the party currently in government!):
Hon Kim Beazley MP, Leader of the Opposition.
Hon Bob McMullan MP, Shadow Minister for Industry and Technology.
Senator the Hon Kate Lundy, Shadow Minister Assisting the Shadow Minister for Industry and Technology on Information Technology.

Some web pages for Australian political parties: the currently governing party (strictly, the party with a majority in the federal House of Representatives) is the Liberal Party of Australia. The party in Opposition (next greatest in numbers) is the Australian Labor Party. The party with the balance of power in the Senate is the Australian Democrats.

Here's my suggestions as to who to contact if you want to: (I'm going to give you websites, not email address - you'll have to click through. I really don't want to instigate the /.-ing of my government :) )

You can find email addresses for ministers on this page. The Prime Minister's page is here. The Leader of the Opposition's page is here. The email address of every member of the House of reps is here. Senate addresses here. Be careful please :)
If nothing else, they're not all of the party in power...

Ministers in the government:
Hon John Howard MP, Prime Minister of Australia.
Senator the Hon Richard Alston, Minister for Communications, Information Technology and the Arts.

Shadow ministers (ie in opposition - not of the party currently in government!):
Hon Kim Beazley MP, Leader of the Opposition.
Hon Bob McMullan MP, Shadow Minister for Industry and Technology.
Senator the Hon Kate Lundy, Shadow Minister Assisting the Shadow Minister for Industry and Technology on Information Technology.

Some web pages for Australian political parties: the currently governing party (strictly, the party with a majority in the federal House of Representatives) is the Liberal Party of Australia. The party in Opposition (next greatest in numbers) is the Australian Labor Party. The party with the balance of power in the Senate is the Australian Democrats.

Here's my suggestions as to who to contact if you want to: (I'm going to give you websites, not email address - you'll have to click through. I really don't want to instigate the /.-ing of my government :) )

You can find email addresses for ministers on this page. The Prime Minister's page is here. The Leader of the Opposition's page is here. The email address of every member of the House of reps is here. Senate addresses here. Be careful please :)
If nothing else, they're not all of the party in power...

Ministers in the government:
Hon John Howard MP, Prime Minister of Australia.
Senator the Hon Richard Alston, Minister for Communications, Information Technology and the Arts.

Shadow ministers (ie in opposition - not of the party currently in government!):
Hon Kim Beazley MP, Leader of the Opposition.
Hon Bob McMullan MP, Shadow Minister for Industry and Technology.
Senator the Hon Kate Lundy, Shadow Minister Assisting the Shadow Minister for Industry and Technology on Information Technology.

Some web pages for Australian political parties: the currently governing party (strictly, the party with a majority in the federal House of Representatives) is the Liberal Party of Australia. The party in Opposition (next greatest in numbers) is the Australian Labor Party. The party with the balance of power in the Senate is the Australian Democrats.

Here's my suggestions as to who to contact if you want to: (I'm going to give you websites, not email address - you'll have to click through. I really don't want to instigate the /.-ing of my government :) )

You can find email addresses for ministers on this page. The Prime Minister's page is here. The Leader of the Opposition's page is here. The email address of every member of the House of reps is here. Senate addresses here. Be careful please :)
If nothing else, they're not all of the party in power...

Ministers in the government:
Hon John Howard MP, Prime Minister of Australia.
Senator the Hon Richard Alston, Minister for Communications, Information Technology and the Arts.

Shadow ministers (ie in opposition - not of the party currently in government!):
Hon Kim Beazley MP, Leader of the Opposition.
Hon Bob McMullan MP, Shadow Minister for Industry and Technology.
Senator the Hon Kate Lundy, Shadow Minister Assisting the Shadow Minister for Industry and Technology on Information Technology.

Some web pages for Australian political parties: the currently governing party (strictly, the party with a majority in the federal House of Representatives) is the Liberal Party of Australia. The party in Opposition (next greatest in numbers) is the Australian Labor Party. The party with the balance of power in the Senate is the Australian Democrats.

Australia has a written constitution, which is actively policed by the judiciary.
http://www.aph.gov.au/senate/gen eral/constitution/

Australia also currently possesses a notably bone-headed executive, currently intent on some tax reform that depends on placating one Tasmanian Senator. He, and they, will not last forever.

Alright, here's my nano-HOWTO for getting to the page referenced above:

1. Go to the Search page
2. Click on Browse
3. Click on Legislation
4. Click on Current Bills by Title
5. Click on Australian Security Intelligence Organisation Legislation Amendment Bill
6. This should get you to the right folder with the relevent links to the actual documents.

Hope this will help whoever's looking for the stuff. :-)

The link about "remotly tap into and alter data" is broken. I think this is the correct link.

Address in Canberra (capital):
The Senate,
Parliament House,
Canberra, ACT 2600
AUSTRALIA
Ph: +612 6277 7111
Fax: +612 6277 3387

Address in Melbourne (home state):
2nd Floor,
4 Treasury Place,
East Melbourne, VIC 3002
AUSTRALIA
Ph: +613 9650 0233
Fax: +613 9650 0220

www.aph.gov.au/senate
richard.alston@dcita.gov.au

The big shakeup of the RIAA cartel and stores full of $18 CDs cannot arrive fast enough

:)

That's what the Australian government and competition watchdog told us about legislation introducing parallel importing of CDs.

We're still paying AU$30 per CD. Don't hold your breath for cheap CDs.
Best to keep relying on MP3.

The actual title of the legislation is the Broadcasting Services Amendment (Online Services) Act 1999 Try here for the most recent text of the proposed amendments, or here for a summary of the proposed changes that was prepared for debate in parliament.

The actual title of the legislation is the Broadcasting Services Amendment (Online Services) Act 1999 Try here for the most recent text of the proposed amendments, or here for a summary of the proposed changes that was prepared for debate in parliament.

Can someone provide details on Australia's legal system? I.e. does Australia have a constitution (I know England hasn't) and a constitutional court which might provide a means of getting this law killed?

Australia does have a constitution, but it doesn't guarantee freedom of speech (it just sets down the structure of government), although the High Court has ruled that there is an implied right of freedom of political speech.

AustLII has information about Australian Courts if you're interested in looking. I'm not a lawyer, but I don't know of anything that would make this law invalid.