Q&A 2010 with The Greens' Senator Scott Ludlam
- 05 February, 2010 15:15
- Comments (9)
Senator Scott Ludlam represents the Australian Greens on communications and technology issues. He spoke with ARN about his potential support for a changed ISP filter and the need to use locals and not increased numbers of migrants to fix the looming IT worker shortage.
You’ve seen the Enex test results and the Government has confirmed its intentions. Will the Greens vote against the Government on ISP filtering?
Scott Ludlam: No. There’s no way I’m going to outright vote against a bill I haven’t seen yet. I strongly believe there may be opportunities for amendments to the bill that will improve the situation we’ve got at the moment. We might be in a position to delete the mandatory filter parts of the proposal…something along the lines of an online filter that would catch the material they’re talking about that would be opt-in, while strengthening the way the current blacklist operates, which has been shown to be defective.
Does that mean mandatory filtering is a make or break issue for The Greens?
SL: I think it’s really important for us, yes. And that’s one of the things that so outraged the online community – not necessarily the mechanism and the arguments about the technology or speed impact, but really what caused the most alarm was the nature of the proposal.
Recent polls have come out suggesting the popularity gap between the ALP and the Coalition is narrowing. Do you think this will increase the likelihood of the Government slowing down or overturning controversial issues like the ISP filter?
SL: I think in an election year, everybody gets nervous about proposals which are so blatantly unpopular. This thing has been universally condemned right across the board from child protection outfits to consumer protection organisations like Choice to big industry players like the major ISPs and groups like Google and obviously from the online community and online advocates like The Greens. It’s a friendless proposal and in an election year the initiative may not come from Minister Conroy’s office, but it’ll certainly be coming from the Prime Minister’s office if it looks like it’ll cost votes.
Many argue that opponents of the filter lack consensus and have failed to educate the public at large. Is this true? And is it too late to change this given that consultation closes on February 12?
SL: I think that’s quite a perceptive comment that the work here is taking the issue from places where it’s well understood and universally despised, and turning it into more of a mainstream issue. It’s been perhaps a bit inward looking and now we really need to turn to using the Internet to best effect. We need to ensure everybody that uses the Internet understands what is happening and that is going to take a re-orientation of the strategy we’ve seen so far.
Would the Greens take on a coordinating role on the issue?
SL: I think it would be a great mistake actually. I think the power of the campaign is going to be the diversity of views we bring to bear. We’ll be doing everything we can in the parliamentary domain, in my role as spokesperson and in all the different tools that we can use. I feel we could certainly be more coordinated with kinds of messages we bring to bear, but I don’t plan on taking charge of the movement.
Were you disappointed by (former Australian Greens candidate) Clive Hamilton’s firm stance on ISP filtering?
SL: I was a bit perplexed by it because in a way, we share similar concerns but have learnt really divergent views on the best way forward. He’s an incredibly articulate advocate for his point of view and he brings a lot of study and careful thought to the issue, but obviously we disagree very strongly on the benefits of filtering.
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Comments
Ian
Importing IT workers
I have nearly 40 years experience in IT yet cannot even get an interview because I am over 60.
We do not need to import IT workers, just use the experience of older Australians to provide the necessary skills
George Bray
Thanks
Great interview David, thanks for some insight into the Greens' position.
It's sad the opposition are doing everything they can to derail the NBN. Minchin being a mouthpiece for Telstra is particularly appalling.
Anonymous
Bring em in by the plane loads and see where it ends up
HP currently are getting rid of a stack of workers and giving them to their overseas arm in India - same company, operating in the same country yet the work is being done OS.
When is the government going to count the cost of all those lost tax revenue dollars that is being lost?
When you drag in OS workers, the cost of labor goes down but so does the tax revenue - it's a loose loose situation no matter how you look at it.
Globalisation is a croc - it doesn't solve anything other than increase teh wealth and skills of those nations who labor is being exploited.
Have a look at China - for years it did the dogs body work of the rest of the world - however, all the things we outsourced to them they became experts in now and the west will end up working for China! India is the same - they are now the masters of the IT world - unless we realise where this all ends up we will end up jobless and with no money in the country left to support us! This is where outsourcing leads too.
Suzan Gillie
When you use the phrase "labor shortage" or "skills shortage" you're speaking in a sentence fragment. What you actually mean to say is: "There is a labor shortage at the salary level I'm willing to pay." That statement is the correct phrase; the complete sentence and the intellectually honest statement.
Some people speak about shortages as though they represent some absolute, readily identifiable lack of desirable services. Price is rarely accorded its proper importance in their discussion.
If you start raising wages and improving working conditions, and continue doing so, you'll solve your shortage and will have people lining up around the block to work for you even if you need to have huge piles of steaming manure hand-scooped on a blazing summer afternoon.
And if you think there's going to be a shortage caused by employees retiring out of the workforce: Guess again: With the majority of retirement accounts down about 50% or more, most people entering retirement age are working well into their sunset years. So, you won’t be getting a worker shortage anytime soon due to retirees exiting the workforce.
Some specialized jobs require training and/or certification, again, the solution is higher wages and improved benefits. People will self-fund their re-education so that they can enter the industry in a work-ready state. The attractive wages, working conditions and career prospects of technology during the 1980’s and 1990’s was a prime example of people’s willingness to self-fund their own career re-education.
There is never enough of any good or service to satisfy all wants or desires. A buyer, or employer, must give up something to get something. They must pay the market price and forego whatever else he could have for the same price. The forces of supply and demand determine these prices -- and the price of a skilled workman is no exception. The buyer can take it or leave it. However, those who choose to leave it (because of lack of funds or personal preference) must not cry shortage. The good is available at the market price. All goods and services are scarce, but scarcity and shortages are by no means synonymous. Scarcity is a regrettable and unavoidable fact.
Shortages are purely a function of price. The only way in which a shortage has existed, or ever will exist, is in cases where the "going price" has been held below the market-clearing price.
Bruce
Politicians :-(
>amendments to the bill that will improve the situation weve got at the moment
At the moment we are fine - a dentist or two might be upset but by and large the internet is open. There is no significant way to improve the situation we have at the moment. The problem is the situation we will have if people dont take a stand.
>I feel we could certainly be more coordinated with kinds of messages we bring to bear
Like actually making a stand one way or another perhaps. This sort of sit on the fence statement from the greens is hardly surprising. Let them go back to supporting global warming and piracy in international waters and leave the real problems to the big boys.
Frank
Leave the Internet free of censorship
I am bit sad about the Greens. I thought they would be the party completely against central censoring of the Internet.
It does not matter if the filter is opt in or not. Once a Government run central filter is in place (like China's firewall) then you are on a slippery slope. Over time the opt in will disappear.
Bring back the Government funded home filter. Let the people decide.
Conroy - show some sense.
John
Go Ludlam!
Wow, its so refreshing to read comments on the nations internet and technology by a politician who a) Knows what he's talking about and b) is actually representing the best interests of Australian internet users rather than big business or christian lobby groups.
Great work Senator Ludlam, you've got my vote.
Harquebus
dissapointing greens
I was going to vote green until Ludlam informed me that, they were only going to put forward amendments and not oppose this legislation outright as 90%+ would like.
Anonymous
Re: Importing IT workers
"I have nearly 40 years experience in IT yet cannot even get an interview because I am over 60."
May I suggest not placing your date of birth or age on any resumes or application forms. They're not supposed to ask (especially for recruitment agencies) as it's against the equal opportunities act.
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