Filter plans still on after Labor shake-up
- 28 June, 2010 16:45
- Comments 10
Communications Minister, Senator Stephen Conroy
Plans for a national Internet filter remains unchanged despite major changes to the Federal Government.
Former Deputy Prime Minister, Julia Gillard, usurped Kevin Rudd as Prime Minister and leader of the Labor Party last week.
A cabinet reshuffle was announced today in which Communications Minister, Senator Stephen Conroy, kept his position.
Attending an event at the Neuroscience Research Australia facility in Randwick, Senator Conroy was grilled by the media about the fate of the controversial Net filter.
“We have an election commitment to keep,” he said while staying mum on Prime Minister Gillard’s views on the filter.
Senator Conroy shot down questions about comments by Greens Senator, Scott Ludlum, that the filter will be shelved until after the next federal election.
“Just because Scott Ludlum says its shelved doesn’t make it true,” he said , noting when the next election is held has yet to be decided by the Prime Minister. “… We said we’d bring the legislation forward. We’d hope to have finished all the consultations that have taken place.”
“It’s taken a little longer than we’d hoped but we will be bringing the legislation forward in the second half of the year.”
When asked what his personal views on an opt-in structure for the filter, Senator Conroy replied: “I’m not into opting into child porn.”
The Internet filter has been heavily opposed by a number of organisations and individuals. Click here to launch ARN’s Power to the people: The anti-filter movement slideshow.
Nominations for the 2012 ARN IT Industry Awards open on Tuesday, June 12.
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Comments
Nevan Ford
I would rather leave internet speeds the way they are than have the internet censored in this country. Gillard had a chance to actually get some voters back here but thats gone now. I WAS a labor voter but not anymore. CHANGE IT! or prepare to be one of the shortest serving PM's in history. I don't like Abbot either but I and MILLIONS of other australians don't want a filter. LISTEN TO YOUR BOSSES GILLARD! YOU KNOW.... THE AUSTRALIAN PEOPLE!!!
ezra
Millions of Australians Nevan? Even Getup could not get more than 100,000 signatures in the biggest campaign yet...
Subtract their membership and the thousands (?) from WP, and not many mainstream Aussies were signing up.
Acording to the polls since the PM change, Gillard has won back a significant voter segment.
But hey, be happy about the NBN, at least what you are not allowed to see will get there faster.
Harquebus
"Plans for a national Internet filter remains unchanged", so do my plans to vote Labor last.
Peter
*sigh* I was hoping Gillard would actually change something here. Alas, I was wrong and there goes my vote.
Sinikk
Although Labor will never ever regain my vote until they abandon their censorship agenda, I'm hardly surpised they're still pursuing their stupid filter policy.
The idea didn't originate from Rudd himself, it was the Party and the 'kitchen cabinet' who have pushed it. And Conroy himself was involved in knifing Rudd in the back and replacing him with Gillard, so she partly owes her power to him.
...And we're supposed to trust this cannabilistic lot as 'moral guardians' to decide without question what information we're allowed to see?
Pete
I am a Labor voter, or was as I can never support a party with such draconian right wing religious zealot views. They got rid of one zealot, they should have gotten rid of the other.
Dan
it's been proven time and time again that this filter will NOT stop child-porn rings, yet he keeps going back to that time and time again - why is nobody shutting him down when he tries to make this argument??
Honestly, I think this is going to cost Gillard a win at the next election
Rod
I agree with the above. I have been a labor voter, but I will not vote for them this election if they do not remove the filter and plans to monitor everyone's use of the internet.
I value my privacy. I do not trust politicians or some faceless bureaucrats to continue to the right thing with the information they censor or information they gather.
These are steps to communism and dictatorship. Look at the problems the US had with J Edgar Hoover when he was head of the FBI. He used the FBI to further his own career and abused the information he gathered. You stop this by not implementing the proposals.
Mark
I thought Julia would have had more brains than to let Conroy persist with his stupid filter and other BB tactics. This issue alone is going to cost Labor many thousands of votes, votes they cannot afford to lose the way things are shaping up. The least she could have done is to change the filter to opt-in. That way, those that want it can have it.
Simon
Stand up people otherwise this will be enacted very soon. Let your voices be heard otherwise you are just as much to blame as the idiots installing this inane piece of legislation.
BE HEARD! - Take 20 mins to compose a letter with a complicated and varied topical basis so it isn't automatically handled by a machine. Be vocal to your Liberal / Opposition members as well. We need them to stand up and get support as well.
ATTEND RALLYS - I'm sure more will be organised closer to the election.
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