Aussie opposition will scrap firewall

One question...

Why have they waited so long to come out on the side of sanity?

The debate has raged for months (the debate being Conroy saying we neeed it and the rest of Australia saying it wont work/we dont want it), and only now they come out and say they're against it!

I'll withhold judgement on whether this is an actual scrapping of the firewall or a "re-imagining" until i see the detailed plan of the liberals...

Good.

Someone's thinking. Hopefully many more will follow suit.

The Aussies are Mindless (pt 2)

Look at the digital tele filtering article here and the same policies apply as they chose to live in their idiotic nanny state. It'll be deployed, a 4-year old will get around it, and much mumbling, name calling, and finger pointing will ensue until the Aussie press get bored and look for the next 1-2 week old international headline to wave their hands over.

Repeat cycle.

So if it worked they'd be all for it?

The point, you nitwit, is not that it won't work (although, of course, it won't). It's wrong because it's censorship. It's wrong because we're not even allowed to know what you're censoring. And it's wrong because we trust neither you nor the other lot to resist the temptation to suppress anything you find "inconvenient".

Glad I don't live in Australia any longer.

Looks like they have my vote

At least we'll have a ripper three seasons of Good News Week to look forward to.

@S.pam

Didn't read the digital TV article did we?

The point in that article was that parents could chose to turn on a filter if they wished and obviously if you are not a parent you don't need it on.

The firewall issue is completely different as it's mandatory for everyone.

Top work

I think it would be safe to say that the Lib's will be back in power shortly, Conroy needs to be taken out the back and re-educated as to what a democracy means*.

*yes I know, it was meant to be ironic :)

Salute Joe hockey...

for sticking to his guns. On a show called Q&A one of the lady pollies for the government inferred he supported child pornography by opposing the filter.

Seriously, get tough, but not by censoring the internet.

Aussie opposition will scrap firewall...

No they won't.

Because they aren't going to win this election, Labor will. Then when Labor loses the next election the Liberals wont scrap it. They've had three years to make some noise opposing this silly filter and just a few weeks before the election they decide to say something, too little too late and I guess some dumb Aussies seem to forget this what they wanted long before they went with the NetAlert junk. But dont worry guys in 2013 you'll be too distracted anyway, they'll have High Speed Rail on the agenda by then with a 2099 completion date and who knows what the status of the NBN will be by then, the only thing we can be certain of is that it will be filtered.

I see what you did there Mr Hockey..

He is opposing it because it doesn't filter enough!

He is not against the filter for reasons of principle or free speech, but because the filter doesn't filter everything!

Good god porn and scams are coming through the email portals as well !!!!oneone!!

I am so glad I moved out of that backward assed country.

Hey Reg, any chance of a maple leaf icon ?

We need a "screw this, I'm moving to Canada" Icon.

Unlike most people.. I actually did. :)

Here you go from my ISP

Prohibited activities include (but are not limited to):

(a) posting, disseminating, or in some cases accessing, content which is unlawful, including:

(i) content that is or would be classified by the Classification Board as RC rated or X rated and that is or would be classified by the Classification Board as R rated where a restricted access system is not in place,

Does restricted access system mean national internet filter?

What a choice...

NBN with filter under Labor or no NBN but unfiltered under Libs.

Can't believe that for the first time in my life I may end up voting something like Greens...

What a choice. :(

Policy?

What?

Did the Coalition just announce a policy???

Of course he opposes the filter....

He has to oppose the filter, in order to make people look away from the fact that they will also scrap the NBN if they get into power.

At which point, we won't need the filter, because our connection speeds will be so low, that kids will get up off their couches, and go outside to play.

At which point, the dodgy, trenchcoat wearing neighbour will be free to take pictures over the fence, without the government knowing!

See, Joe Hockey is promoting backyard paedophilia, why isn't this being reported in the news!!!

And this is how Australian elections are won, not on good policy making decisions, but bad smear campaigns.

Mine is the trenchcoat with the telephoto lens in the pocket....wait....

wasn't the Filter a Liberal Party incentive?

Wasn't the filter a Liberal Party incentive under the 2nd or 3rd Howard government?

I seem to recall that was part of a deal to flog off Telstra with the Senate.

Now Hockey has come out saying that *he* opposes it. As 'Anonymous Coward

Aussie opposition will scrap firewall... ' said, that's not a Liberal Party promise - but a Hockey Opinion. Thus not Policy - not even a non-core promise.

Personally I think both the major parties have less of a clue than Paris.

My Vote is for the Australian Sex Party. They oppose the Filter completely. Porn for all (adults)

Possibly keep NBN and no filter

By the sounds of it, the election may well be a close run thing and could be a re-run of the UK election, but with the Greens holding the balance of power. If Labour win they won't be able to push through the filter as both the Greens and now the Liberals are against it. They will however continue with the NBN as they've gone too far to stop without loosing face (long way still to go though).

Me, I'll probably vote Green. They place the Australian Sex Party ahead of both Liberals and Labour in their preferences in WA, so at least they've got a sense of humour.

That's Lib lie

They started it. With a mad monk as their leader, there is no way they will oppose it.

They just say this because it will bring more vote to them.

And I couldn't agree more with Ron. Listen carefully, they don't really oppose it at all. If there is any real reason they don't want it now, is because it won't work.

Beware of idiots bearing gifts...

Hockey is a complete plonker. Don't trust the man. The Libs may well vote against the filter, but they will put something else in place + no NBN.

Abbott is another mad religious type. Like Howard, he would rather we all lived in the 1950's. Ladies with nice hats and gloves, work for all (men) and Sundays reserved for church.

NBN sigh

I would like to have a NBN but the cost is just too high. Its not the $45B for the NBN. Its all the other crap you have to put up with. I know people who built up a good professional insulation business over 25 years, who these nobs have sunk, they were just thankful they wernt screwed over as badly as those in the solar industry.

The transitional awards are unworkable. Back in surplus by 12/13 but when will the debt really be paid off?

And wost of all that Goose Gillard, treating as all as if we belong in primary school. Watch the hands. When she says anything, it's got to include slagging off the other guys, she cant help it.

A nasty bit of work, and the basis of so much of the stuff up over the last three years.

I guess I'll have to vote for the rabbot!

The True Gillard

I like how our PM said that the rule book has been thrown out and we'll see 'The Real' Gillard.

Two nights later, she's brought back KRudd (who she stabbed in the back) and he's doing all the talking while she sits there like a nice lady and lets him run the show.

I've never encountered an election this pathetic (from both sides).

But they won't turn off the surevellance, or the collection of the data people send and recieve...

Don't be FOOLED by the idiots: This is not about a filter at all, it is about censorship and sureveillance, big brother having access to ALL your data and private information.

Richard Alston + Amanda Vanstone + Helen Coonan = A massive ConJob run by vested interests...

(The above equation represents 15 years of total and complete stupidity; the work of 3 Liberal ministers and the current telecommunications puppet, Stephen ConBoy)