EFA questions about mandatory national ISP-level Internet filtering which shoud be answered by Austrlaia's Comminications Minister

Colin Jacobs of Electronic Frontiers Australia has posted the following questions for the Australian Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy:

The top 10 filtering questions yet to be answered

The Rudd Government's mandatory ISP filtering bill will soon be introduced into Parliament, and we can only hope that the debate there will focus more on the real merits of the scheme – which are few and far between – than empty rhetoric about protecting children. When the debate happens, here are some questions the Government needs to answer under the glare of public scrutiny.

1. Given the trouble and expense of this policy, you must have some pretty convincing evidence that children are being constantly exposed to RC material. How was your research conducted and will it be released to the public?

(In fact, research indicates that of all the threats kids face online, accidental exposure to disturbing content is about the least significant.)

2. Two-thirds of Internet-connected households don't have school-age children. Isn't forcing a filter onto them as well as businesses unnecessary?

(We have never heard a cogent explanation why the filter should be mandatory and not opt-in, or why it's a better solution than more comprehensive and customisable PC-based filters.)

3. Given the reasonably poor uptake of filters by parents in the past, what makes you so sure the Australian people want a filter at a national level?

(Survey data shows that parents who don't install filters do so mainly because they consider them unnecessary or too restrictive, not for technical or cost reasons.)

4. Why did you meet with the Australian Christian Lobby before making last week's announcements? Have you met with groups opposed to the filter?

(Conroy's office ignores our polite requests to make our case.)

5. In targeting child pornography, isn't the blacklist mechanism, which relies on the media regulator and the Australian public, a poor way to track down this material compared to investigations by law enforcement professionals?

(Illegal material is not typically published on the open web, and when it is, is usually taken down quickly.)

6. In the past you have indicated that the blacklist will include material imported from overseas groups like the Internet Watch Foundation. Is it still the case that lists prepared by unaccountable third parties overseas might be part of Australian censorship?

(The Internet Watch Foundation's list caused controversy in Britain when it added a Wikipedia page to its list in 2008.)

7. The Enex trial indicated tests at speeds far below those promised by the new National Broadband Network. Won't the filter interfere with the rollout of this much more important project?

(We can't understand why the Government is pursuing the filtering policy so zealously when the $43 billion NBN is so clearly a higher priority for the country.)

8. Experts say than an ISP filter is easy to circumvent by anyone who wants to. Doesn't that undermine the usefulness of the entire enterprise?

(It's inevitable that getting around the filter will be easy. Therefore, it only prevents accidental access to any site on the list.)

9. When they reach banned websites, will Australians see a message from the government informing them why the page was blocked, or will the page just refuse to load?

(We have many more worries about transparency in the system, especially concerning the oversight of the list itself.)

10. What would stop some future conservative governments adding to the blacklist in a campaign against dangerous or immoral content?

(Of course, this question only has one answer: Nothing. Once the blacklisting has begun, it's hard to imagine it will never expand, let alone ever be rolled back.)

Sadly, EFA suspects that if these issues have been considered at all by the Government, they do not have good answers ready. We maintain that until all of them can be addressed satisfactorily, mandatory ISP filtering amounts to nothing more than a political stunt designed to wedge the opposition and garner some easy votes.

Australian Health Minister Nicola Roxon is not telling the truth about the Medicare e-card

Remember over the course of 2009 the Federal Health Minister Nicola Roxon assuring everyone within hearing that the new Medicare smart card would contain data and, give access to a database, which could be checked for accuracy by individual patients and that information would only be given out if the individual patient agreed to participate in the e-health scheme?
This is what the Minister was putting about at the time:
Eventually, the plan is for each person to have an individual e-health record, which holds their personal details; a summary health profile that can be shared with the person's permission between treating doctors; event summaries such as hospital discharge reports, care plans and test results, and a self-care management record where people can add their own material. and Ms Roxon has said participation in e-health records schemes would be voluntary and yet again All Australian residents will be allocated an Individual Healthcare Identifier (IHI) to support better communication between healthcare providers involved in patient treatment – but no patient will be forced to use it to access any health service.
Believed her did you?
Well, she told whoppers - barefaced and knowingly.
The proof is in the draft Healthcare Identifiers Bill 2010 which contains no precise provisions along those lines.
All the bill does is allow for the collection, storage and dissemination of personal and health information without the patient's explicit knowledge or consent.
This outrageous bill relies on p*ss poor protections found in the Commonwealth Privacy Act, which has few teeth to redress bureaucratic wrongdoing in relation to misuse of personal information or inaccurate record keeping.
The Privacy Act was never designed to cover a national health information datatbase and National Privacy Principles also only contain general intents that informed consent be given for data collection and dissemination or that an individual be given access to their information {thanks to Clarencegirl for pointing that out to me}
As for what looks like exemption for incorporated medical practices from any application of the Criminal Code in relation to improper handling or misuse of personal health information compiled for or received from the national database - well the mind boggles.
While NEHTA's claim that “There is also a very strict audit trail so that any individual can know that someone has accessed their record in the system which is an additional layer of security" is just plain absurd when there is no legislative requirement in place which would allow any individual patient to be informed if their records had been accessed and by whom.
But what really has the Rudd Government falling down that rabbit hole into an alternative reality is the fact that politicians and "well-known personalities" will be given special false identities to prevent their medical records falling into the wrong hands.
Apparently the threat of your personal medical details falling into the wrong hands is an acceptable risk, but the risk is not acceptable when it comes to the personal medical details of Rudd & Roxon or their mates. {Yep, three cheers here for egalitarian Australia}
And what is the Rudd Government going to do with all this very detailed information (right down to whether a twin was delivered first or second) it intends to collect?
Well b#gger all, because no state or territory or hospital or medical practice or doctor or community nurse is anywhere near geared up for this giant trawl though the nations' private life and may never be.
For state governments have not proceeded past a sort of glorified memorandum of understanding on e-health in effect until 30 June 2012.
Roxon's information collection through compulsory sixteen-digit health identifiers is looking more and more like a national identity database in disguise.
No wonder there's such an uproar among the privacy watchdogs.
When did the Australian Labor Party lose its basic common sense?

• So you want to look through my medical records?
• Federal Labor and Health Minister Roxon crossing a bridge too far

You don't have to pay peanuts to get monkeys

Our local newspaper just announced that Tweed councillors are asking for a hefty pay rise.

TWEED councillors have "selflessly" voted to push for a 55 per cent pay rise – not for themselves but for the many other people they say will consequently be encouraged to stand for election.
Councillors voted six to one on Tuesday night to ask the NSW Remuneration Tribunal to raise their annual councillors' fees by $8500 with only Greens Party councillor Katie Milne voting against the motion.
The move will take their pay to $24,000 a year except for Mayor Warren Polglase who will get $57,840 as well as a car, if the tribunal approves the increase."If you pay peanuts you get monkeys," said Cr Kevin Skinner. "By providing a higher form of remuneration we give an opportunity to someone in the community who otherwise could not afford to be a councillor."

I thought I'd share this particular 'poll' on simian pay rates.

If a pay rise was performance based, who do you think should not get one?

G & T
Tweed

UN State of the World's Indigenous Peoples report does not paint a flattering picture of Australian society

According to Inter Press Services on 14 January 2010:

"Indigenous peoples suffer from poorer health, are more likely to experience disability and reduced quality of life and ultimately die younger than their non-indigenous counterparts," says the State of the World's Indigenous Peoples report released by the Department of Social and Economic Affairs (DESA) at the United Nations. This alarming statement is corroborated by statistics in the report which find that consistently, and internationally, indigenous communities are more likely to contract tuberculosis, malnutrition, diabetes, malaria, HIV/AIDS, and to commit suicide than non-indigenous communities. There are also significant gaps in life expectancy between indigenous and non-indigenous people – a difference of as much as 20 years in Australia and Nepal. A collaborative study produced by the Public Health Agency of Canada and Statistics Canada shows that the Inuit are over 150 times more likely to contract tuberculosis than the non-indigenous population. Suicide rates among indigenous youth are strikingly high when compared with non-indigenous youth, particularly in Brazil, where a study carried out by the Brazilian Ministry of Health found that between 2000 and 2005, the rate of Guaraní youth suicide was 19 times higher than the national average. The report also finds that indigenous women and children are particularly vulnerable to poor health, and women are disproportionately affected by violence because of structural discrimination and racism, and the added dimensions of gender bias and poorer levels of education. The report links the denial of certain fundamental rights guaranteed by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights to poor health among indigenous communities, and cites a failure of the Millennium Development Goals to identify and consider indigenous concepts of health, which, beyond the individual's physical and mental well-being accounts for the well-being and spiritual balance of the community.

The State of the World's Indigenous Peoples report is the result of a collaborative effort, organized by the Secretariat of the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues. Chapters were written by independent experts.

The report acknowledges that in February 2008 the Australian Government formally apologized to the Stolen Generation and that in August 2009 it also endorsed the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, reversing the position of the previous Howard Government.

The UN report further noted the disproportionate percentage of indigenous Australians serving time in goals around the country and broadly linked this to discrimination in earlier stages of the justice process.

The report highlighted the fact that indigenous Australians generally live shorter lives, have poorer health care and education, higher than normal levels of inadequate housing and endure higher unemployment rates.

The Koori Mail reported on 15 January 2010 that the Rudd Government rejects elements of the UN findings:

A UNITED Nations report, The State of the World's Indigenous Peoples, is based on outdated information, according to the Federal Government. A spokesperson said rather than a 20-year gap in life expectancy, the Australian Bureau of Statistics announced in May 2009 the new figures were now between 9.7 years for women and 11.5 years for men...

The State of the World's Indigenous Peoples:
Foreword by Mr. Sha Zukang Under-Secretary General for Economic and Social Affairs
Introduction by the Secretariat of the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues

Chapter I: Poverty and Well Being by Joji Carino

Chapter II: Culture by Naomi Kipuri

Chapter III: Environment by Neva Collings

Chapter IV: Contemporary Education by Duane Champagne

Chapter V: Health by Myrna Cunningham

Chapter VI: Human Rights by Dalee Sambo Dorough

Chapter VII: Emerging Issues by Mililani Trask

Foreword by Mr. Sha Zukang Under-Secretary General for Economic and Social Affairs

Introduction by the Secretariat of the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues

Chapter I: Poverty and Well Being by Joji Carino

Chapter II: Culture by Naomi Kipuri

Chapter III: Environment by Neva Collings

Chapter IV: Contemporary Education by Duane Champagne

Chapter V: Health by Myrna Cunningham

Chapter VI: Human Rights by Dalee Sambo Dorough

Chapter VII: Emerging Issues by Mililani Trask

NASA releases updated chart showing just how hot the hemispheres are becoming

NASA-GISS chart released on 15 January 2010

The Nationals Murray Lees gone after four DUI convictions

In the Tweed Daily News yesterday:

MURRAY Lees has resigned from his position as Tweed National Party chairman after being convicted of his fourth drink-driving offence at Murwillumbah Local Court yesterday.

Read the rest here.

Well, that's one blessing in an election year - Mr. Lees' style of election campaigning was always one of the more annoying aspects of NSW North Coast politics.

Lismore Community Garden is underway and wants to help you learn how to produce a bumper crop

The Lismore Community Garden at 50 Brewster Street is a joint project of Rainbow Region Community Farms Inc and the Northern Rivers Social Development Council, funded by the Commonwealth Department of Health & Ageing and land supplied by Lismore City Council for the establishment of an urban community garden benefiting all Lismore residents.

Ground was seriously broken at the beginning of December 2009 and numerous training events will be held this year.

So if you live in the Lismore area and are interested learning about healthy food and sustainable productive gardening, here is the timetable for on-site training from early February to early July 2010:

Sat 6 Feb 2010 Making Compost
Tue 9 Feb Backyard Gardening
Fri 19 Feb Basic Health Eating
Sat 27 Feb Introduction to Permaculture
Sat 6 Mar Backyard Gardening
Thu 11 Mar Starting a Community Garden
Sat 13 Mar No Dig Gardens
Tue 16 Mar Introduction to Permaculture
Fri 9 Apr Filling Up on Fruit and Veg
Tue 13 Apr Backyard Gardening
Sat 24 Apr Introduction to Permaculture
Sat 1 May How to start a worm farm
Sun 2 May Permaculture Design Course (Week 1)
Sat 8 May Backyard Gardening
Sun 9 May Permaculture Design Course (Week 2)
Tue 11 May Introduction to Permaculture
Fri 14 May Fats, Sugars & Fats
Sat 15 May Seed Saving
Sat 15 May Introduction to Permaculture
Sun 16 May Plant Propagation
Sun 16 May Permaculture Design Course (Week 3)
Sun 23 May Permaculture Design Course (Week 4)
Sun 30 May Permaculture Design Course (Week 5)
Sat 5 Jun How to start a worm farm
Sun 6 Jun Permaculture Design Course (Week 6)
Tue 8 Jun Backyard Gardening with Kids
Sat 12 Jun Good Bugs, Bad Bugs
Sun 13 Jun Permaculture Design Course (Week 7)
Sun 20 Jun Permaculture Design Course (Week 8)
Fri 25 Jun Modifying Recipes
Sun 27 Jun Permaculture Design Course (Week 9)
Sun 4 Jul 2010 Permaculture Design Course (Week 10)

For more information contact Linda 02 6620 1815 or Carla 0400 680 300 or Donna 02 6620 1800.

Vegetable & Fruit photograph from Google Images

Journalist discovers that Tony Abbott is a living example of Heisenberg's Uncertainty Principle

I once read a very simple explanation of Heisenberg's Uncertainty Principle applied to quantum mechanics which went something like this - you can make predictions about how x will behave over the long run but you can never say how x will behave over the short run.

It looks as though Jacob Saulwick from The Sydney Morning Herald is discovering that about Opposition Leader Tony Abbott.

I split my sides over "Pole-asked: Why Abbott gets in a muddle about middle Australia":

"Abbott, therefore, spokesman for John Howard and now Leader of the Opposition, tells us that if you are a certain type of person, he will not be informing you that you are in the wrong. You could be up a pole, starving yourself, on an argument of dubious merit. You could be convinced that rising carbon dioxide emissions are good for the environment. But if you broadly identify as ''Middle Australia'', you'll mostly hear what you want to hear.

A corollary in much of what Abbott says is that if you are that certain type of person, you will not be imposed upon. You will not be hit with taxes or restrictions on living the life that you want. No, if the government does intrude into your life, it will be to entice you with incentives and encouragement.

This argument sets the Coalition up to harangue any suggestions for tax reform that come out of the Henry review in the coming months. It also begs the question of how it will pay for its incentives and encouragements.

And the third, and related, idea is that if this pitch to middle Australia throws up internal contradictions, then let's not spend time worrying about them........

But don't you want to plant more trees to soak up carbon dioxide? Isn't that going to be part of your climate change policy? Never mind."

Yep, there's no doubt about it - teh Mad Monk is set to say and do anything (go in four different directions at once if necessary) to get himself into Australia's driving seat. But in the long run he's bound to revert to all those regressive 1950's values and discredited political strategies he shares with John Howard and the country will be stuft.

Pic from 2009 astrology reading for Tony Abbott

Australia Day celebrations on the NSW North Coast 24-26 January 2010

Clarence Valley Australia Day 2010 Awards Ceremony
Event Begins at: 10:00 AM
Event Ends at: 12:30 PM
The Event is on: Tuesday, 26 January 2010
The Event will be Held at: Nip Welsh Park, Minnie Water
Event Type: Awards & Presentation, Citizenship Ceremony, Family Fun Day, Food & BBQ's, Music & Entertainment, Novelty Events, Official Ceremonies
This Event is Suitable for: Matured, Family, Disabled Access
Best Vantage Point is: Minnie Water
Getting there: Parking located close by
Event Web Site: http://www.clarence.nsw.gov.au/

Coffs Harbour - Australia Day 2010 Celebrations
The day commences at 8.30 am with a Flag Raising Ceremony at the Cenotaph in Vernon Street. Morning tea is being held from 9.00 am in the Blue Room at the Coffs Harbour Ex-Services Club in Vernon Street. New citizens registration takes place during this time. The Citizenship and Award Ceremonies commence at 10.00 am in the Grand Auditorium of the Coffs Ex-Services Club.
Event Begins at: 8:30 AM
Event Ends at: 12:30 PM
The Event is on: Tuesday, 26 January 2010
Event Web Site: http://www.coffsharbour.nsw.gov.au/

Richmond Valley - Australia Day 2010 Celebrations
Event Begins at: 9:45 AM
Event Ends at: 4:00 PM
The Event is on: Tuesday, 26 January 2010
The Event will be Held at: Ellengowan
Event Type: Art & Exhibitions, Awards & Presentation, Competitions, Family Fun Day, Flag Raising , Food & BBQ's, Music & Entertainment, Novelty Events, Official Ceremonies
This Event is Suitable for: Kids (6-9), Teenagers (14-18), Children (10-13), Adults, Matured, Family
Best Vantage Point is: Paddocks around hall
Event Web Site: http://www.visitrichmondvalley.com.au/

Tweed Shire - Australia Day 2010
Main Event Begins at: 10:30 AM
Event Ends at: 1:30 PM
The Event is on: Tuesday, 26 January 2010
The Event will be Held at: Burringbar Primary School Event Type: Awards & Presentation, Citizenship Ceremony, Official Ceremonies
This Event is Suitable for: Tots (<5), Kids (6-9), Teenagers (14-18), Young Adults (19-30), Children (10-13), Adults, Family, Disabled Access
Best Vantage Point is: next to Burringbar Sports Grounds
Getting there: past the Burringbar Village
Event Web Site: http://www.tweed.nsw.gov.au/

2010 Tweed Village Celebrations
Event Begins at: 7:00 AM
Event Ends at: 8:00 PM
The Event is on: Tuesday, 26 January 2010
The Event will be Held at: Villages across the Tweed Shire
Event Type: Family Fun Day
This Event is Suitable for: Tots (<5), Kids (6-9), Teenagers (14-18), Young Adults (19-30), Children (10-13), Adults, Family, Disabled Access
Event Web Site: http://www.tweed.nsw.gov.au/

Bellingen - Australia Day 2010 Celebrations
Event Begins at: 7:30 AM
Event Ends at: 3:00 PM
The Event is on: Tuesday, 26 January 2010
The Event will be Held at: Dorrigo
Event Type: Art & Exhibitions, Awards & Presentation, Citizenship Ceremony, Family Fun Day, Flag Raising , Food & BBQ's, Music & Entertainment, Novelty Events, Official Ceremonies
This Event is Suitable for: Family, Disabled Access
Best Vantage Point is: Hickory Street
Getting there: Free Bus from Urunga, Mylestom, Bellingen
Event Web Site: http://www.bellingen.nsw.gov.au/

Lismore - Australia Day 2010
Citizenship Ceremony
Date: Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Time: 8.30am
Goonellabah Sports and Aquatic Centre, 50 OLIVER AVENUE
Beginning with a Welcome to Country by local Aboriginal elders.
Other activities include Flag Raising, Address by Australia Day Ambassador Craig Foster, presentation of Australia Day Awards and musical entertainment.
The celebrations will be followed by Morning Tea when you will have an opportunity to meet Craig Foster.
For further information contact Council on 1300 87 83 87

Kyogle - Australia Day 2010 Celebrations
Kyogle & Woodenbong Celebrations will be held at Woodenbong Hall on 26 January 2010.
Formal proceedings commence from 9.15 am, presentation of awards together with a showcase of local students performing.
Free lunch available including spit roast rolls, sandwiches, cakes, tea coffee & cool drinks.
Weather permitting, a fun afternoon of Cricket at the Woodenbong Recreation Ground—all welcome.
Contact Chris 66305900.
West of the Range Celebrations will be held in Tabulam at the Racecourse commencing 10.00 am.
Lots of fun for the family with jumping castles, street stalls, sumo wrestling,
BBQ and award ceremony
Ph: Neville O’Malley 0427 285 144 for more information.

Byron Bay - Australia Day Paddle 2010
The Australia Day Paddle January 26 2010
Wategos Beach at 10am Two courses – the original 2.2km course as well as a 6.5km course for the more serious paddler.
Seven divisions for men and women:
Nipper paddle boards
Surfboards up to 7'
Surfboards 7'1" to 9'
Surfboards 9'1" to 10'
Open divisions:
Stand-up paddle boards
Racing skis

Ballina - Australia Day Celebrations 2010
Fawcett Park, Ballina at 9am January 26
Ballina Shire Concert Band performing and East Ballina Lions Club serving a barbecue breakfast.
Official proceedings will begin at 10am with the flag-raising ceremony, followed by the Citizenship ceremony and the Australia Day award ceremony.

Bangalow - Flickerfest 2010
19th International Short Film Festival
22rd - 24th January 2010 - A&i Hall, Bangalow
Screening: International 1 on Friday night
International 2 on Saturday night
Best Of Australian Shorts on Sunday night
Doors: 7.30pm each night - Films start: 8.30pm Tickets(available @door):
Friday: $20/15conc includes Opening Night Party with Jameson whiskey, Coopers beer, Rosnay organic wine & Phoenix drinks.
Sat or Sun: $15/10ea
Festival Pass: $35/30con
www.flickerfest.com.au

Say again - you did what??

A friend sent me a link to Just Answer Law (Ask an Australia Law Question, Get an Answer ASAP!) which had me wondering where on earth some people park their common sense as they grab the keys and decide to take a little ride on the NSW North Coast.

I was riding my un-registered, unregisterable mottorbike with no bike lisence. I was pulled up by a police officer on yamba rd and he let me off with a warning. One month later I received 3 fines in the mail, all adding up to over $1500. All fines stated that I was done riding on "Angourie rd". All i know is that I was pulled over by an officer on yamba rd and given a warning, I get fines saying I was riding on "angourie rd", when i was never pulled over by an officer, let alone ever riding on that angourie rd. I have sent the fines back so the matter can be resolved in court. Please let me know what you think.