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Australian Gov't Claims Internet Filter Legislation Still In Play

Posted by timothy on from the too-slightly-good-to-be-true dept.

Dracophile writes "Contrary to yesterday's article about The Australian's report that the Australian government had put on the back burner plans to introduce Internet filter legislation before the next election, The Sydney Morning Herald reports that the government rejected claims that it had abandoned such plans, and that 'a spokeswoman for Communications Minister Stephen Conroy said the government remained committed to the policy.' Unless the Australian Labor Party abandons the plan altogether, will the timing make any difference to voters?"

13 of 98 comments (clear)

  1. I'm a voter... by dwarfsoft · · Score: 4, Informative

    I'm a voter and it makes all the difference to me, so to answer your question... yes.

    --
    Cheers, Chris
    1. Re:I'm a voter... by DiamondGeezer · · Score: 4, Insightful

      The answer is that Labour are too scared of campaigning with the measure on their manifesto that they're kicking it into the light rough and will pick it back up just as soon as the election is over.

      --
      Tubby or not tubby. Fat is the question
    2. Re:I'm a voter... by stainlesssteelpat · · Score: 3, Interesting

      I normally vote labour, unless this gets scrapped by labour they won't get my vote. I'll probably move to the US with my partner if this ever comes in over here. Add to that the reluctance for the Australian government, liberal and labour, to adopt a bill of rights or constitution and it looks like my home is becoming somewhere I don't want to call home or raise my family.

      --
      War is the statesman's game, the priest's delight, the lawyer's jest, the hired assassin's trade.- Shelley
    3. Re:I'm a voter... by dwarfsoft · · Score: 3, Informative

      We do have a constitution. The bill of rights, however, is not in existence. We don't have anything similar to what the US has though. Probably due to having a completely different form of democracy.

      --
      Cheers, Chris
  2. Voting. by Merls+the+Sneaky · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Election soon make your choice giant douche or turd sandwich. Whoever wins we get censorship like china mark my words.

    1. Re:Voting. by biryokumaru · · Score: 4, Funny

      Ha! Now you know how us Americans feel about elections! Take that!

      --
      When you're afraid to download music illegally in your own home, then the terrorists have won!
    2. Re:Voting. by MichaelSmith · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Or don't even drop the ballot paper in. Once they cross your name off you are good to go.

      --
      http://michaelsmith.id.au
    3. Re:Voting. by AHuxley · · Score: 3, Insightful

      The Liberals where only waiting for Narus like packet tech to become cheaper for average isps.
      Now they can see it can be done they will keep it.
      Try the http://www.democrats.org.au/campaigns/no_internet_censorship/
      or
      http://greensmps.org.au/content/media-release/greens-tell-labor-abandon-net-filter-and-start-again
      Both of the big parties in Australian have been infected by faith based groups with long term plans.

      --
      Domestic spying is now "Benign Information Gathering"
    4. Re:Voting. by deniable · · Score: 3, Insightful

      All elections are rigged, no matter what you do a politician always wins.

  3. Re:What do you expect from a union hack? by dwarfsoft · · Score: 4, Insightful

    I didn't know about the Wikileaks thing, so I went looking and read this. Thanks for that. This is getting worse every time I hear about the filter. I hope that one of the parties goes against this, otherwise I will have to vote greens... the only people opposing this travesty.

    --
    Cheers, Chris
  4. The filter must not go ahead! by Mick+R · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Trying to remove child and violent porn is a good thing, but this filter will give the government unchallenged power to control what Australians read and hear online. It will allow them to silence critics and squash any kind of dissension and debate. Once in place ANY party, whoever is in power, will be able to control far too much information. If it goes ahead there is no IF it will be abused, only a matter of WHEN.

    1. Re:The filter must not go ahead! by flyingfsck · · Score: 3, Insightful

      There is no 'when' either. It will be abused right from the get go.

      --
      Excuse me, but please get off my Pennisetum Clandestinum, eh!
  5. Re:What do you expect from a union hack? by Sabriel · · Score: 3, Interesting

    I'm not at all sure the greens won't sell us out for environmental causes - but given both major parties want this "so stupid it's indistinguishable from evil" filter, and labour is already selling us out to the fundies while the liberals seem to be running around with their heads alternately chopped off or buried in the sand... I'm thinking it's one of those situations where we're better off with the devil we don't know.