back to article Porn-browsing Oz minister quits

The point of the Great Australian Firewall is revealed at last today - it's to keep Aussie politicians in line. A New South Wales minister has resigned after admitting using his parliamentary computer to visit porn and gambling sites. Paul McLeay was the state's minister for ports and waterways. ABC News reports that Premier …

COMMENTS

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  1. frank ly

    Misunderstood

    He was obviously testing the firewall and doing research to help add to the blocked list. (That would be my story.)

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Explains it

      It explains a lot.

      We sit here puzzled as to why we need censorship and "protection".

      In their minds, they know from their personal experience that porn is destructive and so want to ban it.

      However, the problem is demonstrably in their minds, and not ours.

      That is all.

  2. Anonymous Coward
    Thumb Up

    Interesting...

    I seem to recall NSW parliamentarians complaining about the filter that censors their office net connections being overly strict and obstructing genuine online research. Perhaps it has been relaxed somewhat or maybe the former minister is good at proxy-fu.

  3. yoinkster
    Unhappy

    The terminology makes me laugh

    "He accepted my request for him to resign."

    roughly translates to "I fired his ass for being a douche on the job but I let him resign so he could receive the state funded parachute he so richly deserves."

  4. JohnG

    NSFW in NSW

    The minister may have been familiar with the abbreviation NSW but perhaps not with NSFW.

  5. JaitcH
    WTF?

    Do as we say, not as we do!

    This is so typical of do gooders who want to force what they consider to be morals down everyone's throats. Out and out hypocrites!.

    They are no different than the Florida anti-gay 'expert' who hired a gay prostitute to 'carry his bags' or the Colorado preacher who had sessions with another gay. Let's not forget the pillar of society, Jim Bakker the American televangelist, a former Assemblies of God minister, and a former host of The PTL Club.

    Or of the earlier members of the UK Conservative Party who promoted 'family values' whilst cabinet minsters cheated on their wives, fathered out of wedlock children, etc.

    Just let the people do what they want, in private, and mind your business!

    1. david wilson

      @jaitch

      >>"They are no different than the Florida anti-gay 'expert' who hired a gay prostitute to 'carry his bags' or the Colorado preacher who had sessions with another gay. "

      I suppose that none of that should have come as much of a surprise.

      /Personally/, I don't find the idea of gay sex terribly appealing, so I don't constantly think about it, just as I don't constantly think about my parents or grandparents or Margaret Thatcher+Ronald Reagan banging away.

      Of the people who /can't/ stop worrying/talking about gay sex, the two main categories seem likely to be [a subset of] the people who are actually doing it, and [a subset of] the people who wish they were doing it.

    2. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Do as we say, not as we do!

      "Or of the earlier members of the UK Conservative Party who promoted 'family values' whilst cabinet minsters cheated on their wives, fathered out of wedlock children, etc."

      I'm still reeling from the whole John Major/Edwina Currie fling. Nobody saw that one coming!

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        @AC

        At least we're getting advance warning on Christopher Myers and William Hague? You know, reputedly — though it's been officially denied. It would explain that odd "don't talk to her, I'm the candidate" moment in 2001...

    3. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      you forgot to mention

      the Catholic Bishop that fathered a bunch of children.

  6. Anonymous Coward
    Thumb Up

    If only it was Stephen Conroy

    That would have made my day.

  7. This post has been deleted by its author

  8. Steve Brooks
    FAIL

    Muffins anyone?

    Strange, one of our pollies once revealed that she couldn't order muffins without getting the firewall turned down, either the firewall is easy to get around and she knew zip, or they turned it down and forgot to turn it up again after she ordered her baked comestibles. Either way...fail!

  9. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Perspective?

    Having politicians resign in a huff is both cheaper and probably a lot better for the political process than spending bazillions on censoring the whole populace using secret blacklists. How's the budget going down under?

  10. Andrew the Invertebrate
    Coat

    Paul McLeay was the state's minister for ports and waterways

    Maybe the guy is dyslexic and misread his portfolio as being for "dawn watersports"

  11. Anonymous Coward
    FAIL

    NSW, circa 1789....

    A place full of criminals, run by the corrupt Rum Corps

    NSW, circa 2010, a place populated by the ancestors of criminals, run by a corrupt Labor Government.

    What changes?

    1. david wilson

      @AC

      >>"NSW, circa 2010, a place populated by the ancestors of criminals, run by a corrupt Labor Government."

      So all their children are lawbreakers?

    2. asiaseen

      populated by the ancestors of criminals

      That's either very clever or you don't have much faith in future generations of NSWalians

  12. Velv
    Coat

    Ports and Waterways

    Seems appropriate to me the that the Minister for Ports and Waterways is fully aware of the local facitlities for visiting sailors

  13. Anonymous Coward
    Coat

    IT reference

    Maybe he knew lots about ports, particularly which ones he needed to unblock to get to the good stuff!!!

  14. J 3
    Coat

    Sir Lunchalot

    And his name is MacDonald, really? Hopefully his taste in eateries is not reflected there...

  15. Mark Eccleston

    No one says it was at work

    The words used were "admitting using his parliamentary computer to visit porn and gambling sites."

    It just says he used his computer to visit the sites. My guess is that he used his work laptop at home.

  16. This post has been deleted by its author

  17. ShaggyDoggy

    Gay family values

    "David Campbell, another "family values" minister, resigned after being filmed leaving a gay sauna"

    Are they saying that gay people can not have family values ?

    1. Intractable Potsherd
      Joke

      Pay attention, ShaggyDoggy...

      ...that is exactly what all this is about! The definition of a family is "a man, a woman, two children, and a dog".* Anything else is an abomination, and needs to be wiped out.

      * This was the answer a student I was scribing for in an exam gave to the question "Define 'a family'". I nearly choked trying not laugh!

  18. Robert Carnegie Silver badge

    I think I see the problem with "muffin"

    I think it's rot about William Hague and Christopher Myers, they wouldn't have -time-.

    I'm looking forward to whatever Glenn Beck ever turns out to be up to. Should I say "Glenn or Glenda". Someone online says "He's a fruitfly", whatever does -that- mean...

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