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National Censorship Plan Offensive, Says Aussie Shadow Minister

Posted by timothy on from the shadow-minister-is-such-a-cool-title dept.

downundarob writes "Senator Nick Minchin, the Australian Shadow Minister for broadband, communications and the digital economy, has written (or more likely a staffer has written) this interesting article on the Australian Federal Government's continued zeal to enforce ISP-level filtering in Australia. In the article he posits that 'Underlying the Rudd Government's plan to screen the internet is an offensive message: that parents cannot be trusted to mind their children online.' Meanwhile, we wait for filtering trials to start, trials that have been delayed and which have next-to-no support among the industry. Telstra BigPond — Australia's largest ISP — has refused to take part, comparing internet filtering to 'like trying to boil the ocean.' The third largest, iiNet, is prepared to participate to highlight flaws."

6 of 116 comments (clear)

  1. So... by techno-vampire · · Score: 4, Funny

    So what he's saying is, this plan to censor the Internet is so offensive that it should be censored, right?

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    1. Re:So... by jasontheking · · Score: 5, Funny

      they sell frozen peas

  2. Shadow Minister by Nyeerrmm · · Score: 4, Funny

    As an American, I must say, we need to take a look at this nomenclature: Shadow Minister sounds so much cooler than Senate Minority Leader or the like.

    It helps when the guy has an ounce of sense too...

    1. Re:Shadow Minister by martin-boundary · · Score: 5, Funny

      No, logically, the prime minister has to be a Vorlon.

  3. He's right! by Veggiesama · · Score: 4, Funny

    This national censorship plan is so offensive that no one should ever hear about it again!

    I propose that we censor it! Think of the children!

  4. Re:Shadow Government by xrayspx · · Score: 4, Funny

    I'm sorry to do it, but, yeah, *whoosh*.

    I get that this guy isn't really a secret operative in some alien-human hybrid black-oil conspiracy. But the title of "Shadow Minister" does still imply such to those of us who watched a certain popular TV (TeleVision) show known as the X-Files in the 1990's.

    It's OK though, because as we all know, jokes have been scientifically proven to be much funnier when they're fully explained, so for that I thank you :-)

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