Murdoch's minions labour to produce a little undergraduate humour

Excerpt from Sky AM Agenda transcript of interview with Federal Labor Trade Minister Richard Marles, 8 August 2013:

GILBERT: Finally, the Daily Telegraph's front page has Thommo's heroes Craig Thomson and, well, accompanied by Anthony Albanese as Sergeant Schultz and Kevin Rudd as Colonel Klink. This - even though he's on the front page would see this as humorous one, wouldn't they?

MARLES: Well, we can all have a laugh at it and this ranks up there with the Stephen Conroy front page. It gives all of those on the front page something to put in their pool rooms. And, look, it's funny. I think the point to be made here, Kieran, is that they're not editing Honi Soit; this is not a campus newspaper that they're putting together here. This is our largest city's biggest newspaper and so they can have some fun with it. It's perspective journalism; there's no sense now in which this is fair or balanced media. And, of course, it's a free country; they can do what they like. But I think they do need to remember what masthead they're actually editing here.

GILBERT: Okay. Richard Marles, thank you for joining us live from Geelong this morning.

Senator Stephen Conroy may be many things, but Stalin he is not

 

"This government will go down in history as the first Australian government outside of wartime to attack freedom of speech by seeking to introduce a regime which effectively institutes government sanctioned journalism," News Limited chief executive Kim Williams said.

 

Yes, without a doubt Australian Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy  Stephen Conroy has a tendency to go too far whenever he looks at regulating areas which fall within his portfolio.

 

One only has to look at his attempts to censor the Internet to see how foolish he can be.

 

However, to equate him with a dictator whose insane policies resulted in the deaths of literally millions is going too far even for Rupert Murdoch’s News Limited.

The rolling blacklist is dead and our online privacy is once more protected - or is it?

 

The Age 9 November 2012:

 

Conroy has backed down but there's no shortage of people still pushing to invade our privacy and censor the internet.

It's almost five years since communications minister Stephen Conroy embarked on his crash-or-crash-through campaign to introduce mandatory ISP-level internet filtering for all Australians……

From the very beginning of the debate, outspoken filtering opponents such as Electronic Frontiers Australia and Mark Newton data retention to keep records of everyone's internet usage for two years. There's already a push to expand the scope of this plan.

Meanwhile anti-piracy lomade it clear that the real concern about the planned filter was its broad scope and veil of secrecy which left it open to abuse by those with an agenda.

It didn't take long for calls to expand the proposed filter. Family First Senator, Steve Fielding, called for the filter to cover legal hardcore pornography and fetish material, while Senator Nick Xenophon wanted it to encompass online gambling. The Australian Christian Lobby was also pushing to expand the scope of the filter to cover a wide range of sins…….

"Blocking the INTERPOL 'worst of' list meets community expectations and fulfils the government’s commitment to preventing Australian internet users from accessing child abuse material online," Conroy says.

"Given this successful outcome, the Government has no need to proceed with mandatory filtering legislation."

Only a politician could label such a backdown a "successful outcome", considering it's exactly what he should have done five years ago. Senator Conroy has been gradually backtracking on filtering for some time but only now does it seem safe to declare the plan officially dead. But that doesn't mean that free speech and privacy advocates can rest easy. Right now Australia is debating the proposal for blanket data retention to keep records of everyone's internet usage for two years. There's already a push to expand the scope of this plan.
Meanwhile anti-piracy lobbyists are threatening to bomb the internet back into the stone age with draconian plans which keep emerging under the guise of various proposals such as the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA), Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA), Protect IP Act (PIPA) and the Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act (CISPA)….

In November 2012 Australian citizens still struggle to get a definitive response from the Federal Attorney-General as to how law enforcement and intelligence agencies will ensure that they are not inappropriately gathering personal information on individuals when they wish to access to the following data without having to automatically apply for a warrant before each request to Internet Service Providers.

Definition of Telecommunications Data

From the Joint Parliamentary Committee on Intelligence and Security

 Inquiry into potential reforms of National Security Legislation

Only your loving family reads your blog? Finkelstein thinks you're too dangerous to be left to your own devices

Despite the fact that your blog may have a little as 41 ‘visits’ per day (including bot scans) the Australian Government’s Independent Inquiry into the Media and Media Regulation advises that there is a need to regulate your website:

3.80 Internet users generally are much more likely to visit the websites of news organisations than news blogs for online news. More than 60 per cent of internet users in each age group reported visiting websites of news organisations, with the proportion rising to more than three-quarters for those aged 18–34. More than half of those aged 25–34 and 35–49 visited the news websites at least weekly. In contrast, significantly fewer people in each age group reported visiting news blogs. In each case, visits to news blogs were seldom more frequent than weekly. Only around one in 10 of those in the 18–24 and 25–34 age groups reported daily visits to news blogs.

11.67 The second change arises from the fact that there are many newsletter publishers and bloggers, although no longer part of the ‘lonely pamphleteer’ tradition, who offer up-to-date reflections on current affairs. Quite a number have a very small audience. There are practical reasons for excluding from the definition of ‘news media’ publishers who do not have a sufficiently large audience. If a publisher distributes more than 3000 copies of print per issue or a news internet site has a minimum of 15 000 hits per annum it should be subject to the jurisdiction of the News Media Council, but not otherwise. These numbers are arbitrary, but a line must be drawn somewhere.

Welcome to the bizarre world being created by the Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy Senator Stephen Conroy.

Has the caravan moved on from Kevin?

A selection of tweets concerning former Oz Foreign Minister and once-more-with-feeling aspirant for the role of Prime Minister, Kevin Rudd MP. The level of sly mockery must give the number crunchers pause for thought. Áussies don't normally vote for the butt of their jokes

chrismurphys chris murphy

If Kevin Rudd is made Leader of the ALP I will be first Murphy since 1891 not to vote Labor. Grandfather Gallipoli, 6sons WW2. #auspol

annabelcrabb Annabel Crabb

Kevin Rudd: So difficult and chaotic that I put him in charge of Australia's foreign policy. #eeeek

toplitigator Mark J. Cohen

Possibly line of the day: 'Kevin Rudd is a self-made man, and he is devoted to his creator'. #auspol

PaulBongiorno Paul Bongiorno

Reality check: Kevin Rudd was rolled before the 2010 election, Julia Gillard then won the vote 2pp just over 50% and won the negotiation.

Wil_Anderson Wil Anderson

Kevin Rudd is challenging. Never has a truer sentence been typed...

latikambourke Latika Bourke

Now, Stephen Conroy on the #pokies story and Wilkie's revelations - says it's clear Kevin Rudd has been a 'complete and utter fraud.'

zozstar zoran

Break news:Kevin Rudd has said nothing in the last few hours #auspol

BreakfastNews ABC News Breakfast

Nicola Roxon: Kevin Rudd was "very difficult to work with"

@Joe_Hildebrand Joe Hildebrand

I like how Kevin Rudd launched his new staff-friendly persona by calling a press conference at 1.30am. #lateline

michellegrattan Michelle Grattan

And later today Wayne Swan might tell us what he really thinks of Kevin Rudd

vexnews vexnews

LIKE A BOSS: PM Gillard shows the strongest steel comes from the hottest fire #auspol #respill http://t.co/7bexSdDY

Nationals MP Luke Hartsuyker gets caught telling untruths yet again

It would seem that the Federal Nationals  MP for Cowper on the NSW North Coast and Shadow Communication spokesperson, Luke Hartsuyker, has been caught out yet again distorting the truth.

The political battle over NBN’s twin satellites contract was essentially confined to competing media releases by Hartsuyker and the current Federal Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy.

Perhaps mainstream media is also growing tired of this local politician’s blatant propaganda, as it appears that his claim barely rated a mention in the national press.

It was left to Delimiter  publishing online to actually  blow the whistle on the ‘satellite lie’.

That Mr. Hartsuyker persists in his shallow and obvious distortions on a range of issues indicates a low opinion of voters in his electorate whom he apparently believes are too silly to ever question his ‘facts’.

Here is Hartsuyker’s media release of 8 February 2012:

Conroy’s breathtaking hypocrisy on regional Australia

 The hypocrisy of Communications Minister Stephen Conroy is breathtaking, Shadow Regional Communications Minister Luke Hartsuyker said today.

This afternoon the Minister distributed a media release claiming the Coalition was abandoning regional Australia because we had the hide to question whether the Government needed to spend $620 million on two new satellites. Far from abandoning regional Australia, the Coalition had the OPEL plan which would have delivered fast broadband to 98 per cent of Australia by June 30 2009.

The OPEL contract included a mixture of technologies, including satellite. It was axed by Minister Conroy and Prime Minister Rudd in 2008, leaving in limbo the broadband needs of many regional communities. Labor also scrapped the Coalition’s $2 billion Communications Fund, which would have ensured the provision of regional telecommunications services into the future.

Given the reckless spending of this Government, the Coalition will continue to scrutinise NBN expenditure. The issue here is not about who is more committed to regional Australia’s broadband needs, but rather whether the Government is providing taxpayers with value for money. Ultimately any cost blowouts or waste will only lead to higher broadband costs for consumers. [my bolding]

This is actually what the Coalition promised when it last formed federal government:

Australia Connected is a comprehensive and complete broadband solution for Australia that involves:

·         A new national high speed wholesale network : The awarding of a $600 million competitive grant will deliver a mix of fibre optic, ADSL2+ and wireless broadband platforms to rural and regional areas. This rollout has been boosted with an additional $358 million in funding to ensure coverage to 99 per cent of the population;

·         A new commercial fibre optic network : Facilitating a fibre network build in cities and larger regional centres via a competitive bids process and subsequent enabling legislation; ·         Australian Broadband Guarantee : A safety net that ensures Australians living in the most remote or difficult to reach areas (the remaining one per cent) are entitled to a broadband subsidy of $2750 per household;

·         Creation of BroadbandNow: A new one-stop consumer help centre with telephone and web information to assist consumers understand the technology options available to them and provide ready information about how to get connected; and the

·         Preservation of the $2 billion Communications Fund : To ensure the funds are protected in perpetuity by legislation for the benefit of regional and rural Australians and to provide for an income stream for future upgrades. [Coalition Communications Minister Senator Helen Coonan,media release,18 June 2007]

The Optus and Elders joint venture, OPEL Networks Pty Ltd (OPEL), has secured $958 million in funding from the Australian Government.

This comprises $600 million from the previously announced Broadband Connect Infrastructure Program and an additional $358 million in funding to further extend high-speed affordable broadband services to rural and regional Australians.

The OPEL network will cover 638,000 square kilometres extending across all States and Territories. OPEL will deploy 1361 broadband wireless sites and install ADSL2+ in 312 exchanges.

Optus will also activate 114 new exchanges with ADSL2+ as part of its existing commitment to provide competitive broadband services. The total number of new exchanges to be activated with ADSL2+ by OPEL and Optus will be 426.

OPEL will initially deliver wireless broadband speeds of up to 6 megabits per second (Mbps) rising to 12 Mbps by 2009 using an internationally deployed broadband wireless technology appropriately designed for Australian conditions. Broadband delivered by ADSL2+ will have speeds of up to 20 Mbps.

Through OPEL, Optus and Elders will contribute $917 million towards the project through upgraded infrastructure, cash and in kind contributions.

Paul O'Sullivan, Chief Executive, Optus said: "This is a major win for competition and choice in rural and regional Australia… [OPTUS, media release,18 June 2007]

For the record here is Federal Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy Stephen Conroy’s media release response of 9 February 2012:

The National Party needs to come clean on their own broadband policy, the Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy, Senator Stephen Conroy, said today.

"In a media release, Nationals MP Luke Hartsuyker, the Shadow Minister for Regional Communications, demonstrated he doesn’t understand what used to be Coalition policy, or what now masquerades as policy," Senator Conroy said.

"His claims that OPEL would have ensured more than 98 per cent of Australians had access to speeds of up to 12 Mbps are simply not true.

"Mr Hartsuyker further claims in his release that OPEL included satellite, which it did not…….

Citizen bloggers shouldn't panic just yet - no matter how far Teh Bolta throws his red herrings

This was Teh Bolta last Thursday; “You do realise that the Gillard Government may be thinking of laws to censor those of you who blog and tweet.“

And as usual you can find his faithful echoes out in the blogosphere trying to whip up a conspiracy.

However, nowhere do they explain how citizen blogs published on domains registered in other countries can be regulated or adjudicated by Australian Government agencies or the Press Council - outside of being placed on the mandatory ISP filter domain/website blacklist that Conroy has spectacularly failed to get off the ground. Google Inc (owner of one of the more popular hosting domains) for one was not impressed by Conroy's chilling policy.

Neither do they tell us on what their censorship fears are based when it comes to this new independent inquiry.

Despite the not-so-secret wish list of that notorious political anal retentive the Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy, Senator Stephen Conroy, it’s professional journalists and their ilk writing online newspaper articles/opinion ‘blogs’ (and perhaps even their broadcasting compatriots published in the online print version of radio or television programs and journalists with publisher-endorsed promotional Twitter accounts) whose pages will fall squarely within the terms of reference set out in the 14th September 2011 press release sent out by the Minister when he announced an independent inquiry into the Australian media:

Announcing the Terms of Reference for the Inquiry, Senator Conroy acknowledged the pressures brought about by the advent of digital technologies and the 24 hour news cycle were threatening the traditional business models that support the essential role of the media in our democratic society……

"The Media Inquiry I am announcing today will focus on print media regulation, including online publications, and the operation of the Press Council.

"The Government believes a separate and distinct examination of the pressures facing newspapers and their newsrooms, including online publications, will enhance our consideration of the policy and regulatory settings Australia needs to ensure that the news media continues to serve the public interest in the digital age," Senator Conroy said.

The Inquiry will be conducted independently of Government, led by Former Justice of the Federal Court of Australia, Ray Finkelstein QC, with the assistance of Dr Matthew Ricketson, Professor of Journalism at Canberra University and a former practising journalist.

"The Government is delighted that these eminently qualified Australians have agreed to undertake this important task on behalf of the Australian people," Senator Conroy said.

The Inquiry will provide its findings to the Convergence Review early next year, and the Government will take a considered approach to the recommendations of both.

Terms of Reference

An independent panel will be appointed to inquire into and report on the following issues, while noting that media regulation is currently being considered by the Convergence Review:

a) The effectiveness of the current media codes of practice in Australia, particularly in light of technological change that is leading to the migration of print media to digital and online platforms;

b) The impact of this technological change on the business model that has supported the investment by traditional media organisations in quality journalism and the production of news, and how such activities can be supported, and diversity enhanced, in the changed media environment;

c) Ways of substantially strengthening the independence and effectiveness of the Australian Press Council, including in relation to on-line publications, and with particular reference to the handling of complaints;

d) Any related issues pertaining to the ability of the media to operate according to regulations and codes of practice, and in the public interest.

The panel will be required to provide a report to Government by 28 February 2012, while working with the Convergence Review committee to ensure that findings are able to be incorporated into the ultimate report of the Convergence Review by end March 2012.

Voluntarily filtering the Australian Internet - another reason to despise Stephen Conroy

Browsers which have attempted to access blocked sites will be directed to an Interpol page explaining why the site has been blocked [IIA 27 June 2011]

The Australian Internet Industry Association (IIA) on 25 June 2011:

The voluntary industry code of practice for ISPs in Australia would entail blocking child pornography sites which would otherwise be available to Australians. It would rely on a blacklist compiled and supplied by Interpol, in cooperation with the Australian Federal Police ('AFP').

Consistent with industry commitments made almost 12 months ago to develop a voluntary industry program to block child abuse materials, the IIA announced the final elements of the scheme were moving into place in preparation for a launch of the code in July.

IIA member ISPs in Australia have confirmed their intentions to support a code based approach.

"We anticipate that we will have ISPs representing between 80-90% of the Australian user base complying with the scheme this year," said IIA's chief executive Peter Coroneos.

Apparently this national filter will be based on the Interpol child abuse site blacklist, which as part of its inclusion criteria states that; The whole domain is deemed illegal if any part of it is found to contain sexual abuse material with children. One image of a child that fits the above criteria will be enough to classify the whole domain as illegal until the illegal material is removed.

As Interpol insists that there are no accidental domain name/web page errors in its black list and only it and the Australian Federal Police are envisaged as official arbitrators (ACMA seemingly having been reduced to a mere receiver of Australian complaints), one can almost see the problem rolling down the line for web hosts such as Blogger.com or Facebook and countless public forums.

Especially when the naturally malicious discover how easy it will be to bring a halt to online political debate, by taking a quick tutorial on YouTube, hacking a website and hiding a simple illegal image (or an image containing illegal content in an internal winrar file) on one of its pages and then making an anonymous complaint to the Australian Federal Police.

Many bloggers already find themselves spammed or linked to adult porn sites whenever they offend certain flying monkeys. At the very least I predict a large number of 'please explains' being swapped between bloggers and their ISPs as this so-called voluntary Internet filtering rolls out.

Conroy gives Australia one more reason to rue a conservative, blinkered and backward Labor Government

Next month Telstra, Optus and two other ISPs begin kowtowing to Communications Minister Stephen Conroy and the ultra-rigid right within the Gillard Government by so-called voluntarily filtering the Australian Internet.
Every time I find my PC returning a cannot access notice (and it will be doing so because there is no way that innocent domains and IPs will not get dragged into this censorship black hole) I will be bombarding the entire government with my emailed complaints.
I suggest that everyone who signed up to these ISPs before they declared they were going to censor the Internet should switch carriers as soon as their current contracts expire.

Logos from NCV and Google Images

I am therefore I oppose

Here’s Liberal Party Leader Tony ‘I am therefore I oppose’ Abbott on 12th May 2011, speaking to a measure continued in the Australian Government 2011-12 Budget and one which he is probably going to eventually vote through when it comes to the crunch:
“Government will spend $350 on each pensioner’s set top box when Gerry Harvey can supply and install them for just $168. Perhaps this programme should be called ‘Building the Entertainment Revolution’. Pensioners and self-funded retirees deserve better than this.”
Abbott again on ABC Radio “PM” program 13th May 2011:
“Take, for arguments sake, the set-top box program. Now I think $305 million has been allocated to this. I just hope that none of the former pink batt installers are sorting this out, otherwise be afraid, very afraid, pensioners of Australia.”

And here are more considered positions from within the Federal Coalition he leads.

Paul Neville (Nats) in Hansard 4th December 2008:
“The British government have gone to the trouble of having a system whereby people can get set-top boxes to convert their analog TVs to digital. We need to have a similar program.”

Nick Minchin (Lib) in Hansard 18th June 2009:
“Though no detail is provided in the bill, the department confirmed during budget estimates that the assistance would include a high-definition digital set-top box, delivered and installed; any necessary cabling in the home; and some instruction on how to use the set-top box. During questioning at Senate estimates, the department advised that they are currently putting together tender documents for the rollout of the assistance in Mildura, the first place for the switch-off, where they estimate that there are approximately 3½ thousand eligible households. They anticipate one tenderer to source the boxes, contact eligible households and arrange installation of the equipment. We trust that the department will ensure that the successful tenderer or tenderers approach the task with what will need to be the appropriate sensitivities in relation to these social security recipients.” And again at www.nickminchin.com.au 19th January 2009
“The Government also needs to finalise a strategy to assist the economically disadvantaged to upgrade their analog equipment to digital. The elderly and others may also require technical assistance and support to ensure their digital equipment is properly installed and working.
After conducting his own test, Senator Conroy concluded that installing a set-top box "is not that easy". It has been suggested that free set-top boxes might be provided to pensioners and low income earners. with in-home installation assistance offered, as has occurred in the UK.
But Australia is a huge country and getting us ready for switch-over requires a lot more than just talk. It requires specific, practical action backed by appropriate levels of additional funding, which will have to be allocated in or before the next Budget if Senator Conroy's deadlines are to be met.
The Coalition fully recognises the undeniable benefits that digital television brings, including better picture and sound quality and extra free-to-air channels to watch, and that is why in government it laid a solid foundation for Australia's digital future.”

Pssst! Did you hear the news?

Well, we can knock out Gillard, Roxon, Wong and Macklin because they are a wrong gender fit for that rather strange rumour which mentions cabinet minister and inappropriate behaviour in the same sentence and very little else.
That leaves Swan, Rudd, Evans, Crean, Smith, Albanese, Conroy, Carr, Garrett, McClelland, Ludwig, Burke, Ferguson, Bowen, Emerson and Combet.
Now that’s so wide a field for speculation that it’s a wonder any journalist bothered to spend time at the keyboard, even if you throw in a hint of leadership ambitions.
But then at least one anonymous journo is aware of the flimsy nature of his piece because he justifies it by saying that the news is not what the minister did or didn’t do but that the supposed internal party response (to what can only be called phantom actions) represents instability within the Gillard Government and his newspaper’s rendition of the gossip is in the public interest.
I kid you not. These days an article containing no name, no action, no time or place is relevant news in the public interest.
G’arn!

I've been filtered? Oh, that hurts!

Around the time Communications Minister Stephen Conroy began to tell Australia that the big ISPs were voluntarily filtering out net nasties I discovered I could no longer bring up a number of websites on the Internet at home, including the news aggregate site Kwoff.
Similarly The Political Sword was off the home viewing menu.
I did not connect these events and went hunting through my PC looking for what turned out to be a non-existent bug.
Because when I eventually changed my ISP to take advantage of better rates (leaving all my original operating and security systems intact) I suddenly found that all those sites which had been bringing up error and connection problem notices (and the odd verboten!) were once more accessible.
So what has been going on up in Dodo Land that innocuous web addresses are on some sort of voluntary black list?

Not A Paedo
Grafton

Federal Politics 2010 Crib Sheet: who's shadowing whom

The Gillard Ministry and its Opposition counterparts are set out here in a rough preliminary guide to the principal House of Representatives and Senate shadow ministers, shadow parliamentary secretaries and spokespersons.

Feel free to expand this list by adding names in the comments section below this post.

Government members are printed in black and underneath their names the Opposition members having shadow responsibility for all or part of ministerial portfolios are set out in red.

CABINET

Julia Gillard, Prime Minister

Tony Abbott

Eric Abetz

Wayne Swan, Deputy Prime Minister and Treasurer

Julie Bishop

Joe Hockey

Mathias Cormann

Chris Evans, Minister for Jobs, Skills, Workplace Relations and Tertiary Education

Eric Abetz

Brett Mason

Christopher Pyne

Sussan Ley

Stephen Conroy, Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy; Minister Assisting the Prime Minister on Digital Productivity

Malcolm Turnbull

Simon Crean, Minister for Regional Australia, Regional Development and Local Government; Minister for the Arts

George Brandis

Barnaby Joyce

Bob Baldwin

Ian MacDonald

Kevin Rudd, Minister for Foreign Affairs

Julie Bishop

David Johnston

Stephen Smith, Minister for Defence

David Johnston

Chris Bowen, Minister for Immigration and Citizenship

Scott Morrison

Anthony Albanese, Minister for Infrastructure and Transport

Warren Truss

Barnaby Joyce

Nicola Roxon, Minister for Health and Ageing

Peter Dutton

Bronwyn Bishop

Concetta Fierravanti-Wells

Jenny Macklin, Minister for Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs

Mitch Fifield

Sussan Ley

Nigel Scullion

Kevin Andrews

Marese Payne

Tony Burke, Minister for Sustainable Population, Communities, Environment and Water

Scott Morrison

Penny Wong, Minister for Finance and Deregulation

Andrew Robb

Peter Garrett, Minister for Schools, Early Childhood and Youth

Christopher Pyne

Fiona Nash

Kim Carr, Minister for Innovation, Industry, Science and Research

Sophie Mirabella

Richard Colebeck

Robert McClelland, Attorney-General

George Brandis

Joe Ludwig, Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry

John Cobb

Martin Ferguson, Minister for Resources, Energy and Tourism

Ian McFarlane

Bob Baldwin

Greg Combet, Minister for Climate Change and Energy Efficiency

Greg Hunt

Craig Emerson, Minister for Trade

Julie Bishop

MINISTERS

Tanya Plibersek, Minister for Human Services; Minister for Social Inclusion

Brendan O'Connor, Minister for Home Affairs and Justice; Minister for Privacy and FOI

Michael Keenan

Kate Ellis, Minister for Employment Participation, Childcare and the Status of Women

Sussan Ley

Mark Arbib, Minister for Indigenous Employment and Economic Development; Minister for Sport; Minister for Social Housing and Homelessness

Luke Hartsuyker

Fiona Nash

Nick Sherry, Minister for Small Business; Minister Assisting the Minister for Tourism

Bruce Billson

Bob Baldwin

Warren Snowdon, Minister for Indigenous Health, Veterans' Affairs and Defence Science and Personnel

Michael Ronaldson

Stuart Robert

Bill Shorten, Assistant Treasurer; Minister for Financial Services and Superannuation

Mathias Cormann

Mark Butler, Minister for Mental Health and Ageing

Bronwyn Bishop

Gary Gray, Special Minister of State

Bronwyn Bishop

Jason Clare, Minister for Defence Materiel

PARLIAMENTARY SECRETARIES

David Bradbury, Treasury

Tony Smith

Jacinta Collins, Education, Employment and Workplace Relations

Julie Collins, Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs

Mark Dreyfus, Climate Change and Energy Efficiency; Cabinet Secretary

Justine Elliot, Foreign Affairs and Trade

Teresa Gambaro

Don Farrell, Sustainable Population, Communities, Environment and Water

Mike Kelly, Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry

Catherine King, Health and Ageing; Infrastructure and Transport

Darren Chester

Kate Lundy, Immigration and Citizenship; Prime Minister and Cabinet

Corey Bernardi

David Feeney, Defence

Jan McLucas, Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs

Scott Ryan

Richard Marles, Foreign Affairs and Trade

Gary Humphries, Fiona Nash, Don Randall, Simon Birmingham, Ian McFarlane, Micaelia Cash, Andrew Laming, Richard Colbeck, Andrew Southcott - shadow parliamentary secretaries for Attorney General, Regional Education, Local Government , Murray-Darling, Rural Remote Australia, Immigration, Regional & Indigenous Health, Fisheries & Forestry Innovation & Science, Primary Health Care, respectively.

Phillip Ruddock, Shadow Cabinet Secretary

Conroy remains one of the reasons why Labor continues to offend the nose

In Teh Granny Herald last Friday:
"The Communications Minister, Stephen Conroy, is ploughing ahead with his internet filter policy despite there being virtually no chance any enabling legislation will pass either house of Parliament.
Independent MP Rob Oakeshott, the Opposition and the Greens have all come out against the policy, leaving it effectively dead in the water.
The Greens communications spokesman, Scott Ludlam, has called on the government to end the facade and drop the internet censorship scheme once and for all, as it was wasting time and taxpayers' money.
University of Sydney Associate Professor Bjorn Landfeldt said, given the catastrophic election result after only one term in government, it was "remarkable" the government was "pushing the very issues that undermined their credibility, rather than focusing their energy on important societal issues"....."

A couple of words on that blankety blank internet filter in response to Gillard & Conroy

Sometimes a tweet or two will say it all......


From David L. Morris: @JuliaGillard "Conroy will get the filter into shape"? We recognise that shape. So does the ACL. It is a crucifix. #openinternet via web

From Kristen Obaid: Senator Conroy: "I'm not into opting in to child porn." -- Neither are we, you obtuse ignorant excuse for a Communications Minister. via web Retweeted by 51 others

Has Stephen Conroy just guaranteed that Labor will lose seats to The Greens in 2010?

Sometimes it's hard to believe just how far the ALP will go in order to lose seats in this year's election unless you track Communications Minister Stephen Conroy's chatter about plans to censor the internet.

Having slipped this scheme under the radar in 2007 he is now afraid to introduce it into law before the election in case votes walk, but intends to run yet another rigged investigation and then erect the Great Firewall by 2012 secure in the knowledge that he won't have to face the voters himself for another six years as a senator.

This consummate ministerial liar changed his tune in the space of 48 hours, because on Wednesday he was telling the press that "I expect it (the legislation) to be this year. I expect that we will table the legislation this year sooner rather than later."

In the meantime he's muscled some ISPs into introducing the filter by stealth as a supposedly voluntary feature and has the hide to say that this net will only catch baddies like child abuse, bestiality, crime, terrorism. Well last year we all saw his blacklist when it was leaked and it certainly blocked inoffensive websites.

So stuff you Conroy - even your Dad thinks you're a rightwing twit. I'm voting Green all the way!

Kellie
Grafton

Guest Speak is a North Coast Voices segment allowing serious or satirical comment from NSW Northern Rivers residents. Email ncvguestpeak at live dot com dot au to submit comment for consideration.

A vote for Gillard or Abbott is still a vote for Internet censorship in Australia?

According to the Australian Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy as reported by ZNet:

Communications Minister Stephen Conroy has reiterated the government's support for its mandatory internet filter policy after the change in Prime Minister and has slammed proposed amendments by Senator Kate Lundy that would allow Australians to opt in or out of the technology...... "We have got an election commitment to deliver," Conroy told journalists in a doorstop interview in Sydney this afternoon. "Just because [Greens Senator] Scott Ludlam says it's been shelved, doesn't mean it's true."

Because there has been leadership change and Australia has a new prime minister in Julia Gillard there is no reason to suppose that the intention to impose Internet censorship is off the government's political agenda. Even if Gillard herself has been remarkably reticent in the face of this contentious issue.

While arch-conservative and professional 1950s-style Catholic, Opposition Leader Tony Abbott, should have alarm bells ringing with his view that the nation should have a new way of ensuring that proper community standards are applied to the media, all media, including new media.

Both Federal Labor and the Coalition would be prepared to dump on Internet users in an effort to secure support of the 'Christian' bloc at the 2010 federal election. The first preference polling numbers are still too close to do otherwise.

Stop the filter or sack the senator!

Victorians are revolting at Filter Stephen Conroy and this time it's personal for some.

They want nothing less than Australian Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy, Senator Stephen Conroy, consigned to the unemployment queue by Christmas.

When 'Microsoft' calls..........

The international Support on Click scam (aka ITEZY.com and System Recure) has been around for a number of years as this suspect press release, media article, forum and post indicate.

Even Dell has a warning out about these scammers: We have recently received complaints from some Dell customers in relation to a company called Support On Click. We are informed that representatives of Support On Click have telephoned Dell customers and have indicated that Support On Click.com is in some way affiliated with Dell. Please note that Support On Click is in no way affiliated with Dell, nor is its controlling company, Pecon Software Limited.

This appears to be part of the standard spiel and one version that currently being used in the Northern Rivers area: He had me click Start-Run and type in eventvwr, and then click on Applications and tell him how many Error flags I had — well, there were hundreds, just from this past month. He asked for a little info about them, and started a spiel about how many people were having these kinds of problems. It sounded like the canned beginning of a sales pitch.

The Daily Examiner on 9 June 2010 reported on the latest manifestation:

A TELEPHONE-BASED computer scam, which asks computer owners to install damaging and invasive software on the premise of a remote repair session has been stepped up in Grafton and Coffs Harbour in recent weeks.

Though the scam has been operating for well over a year nationally, with sporadic instances occurring locally, Computer Troubleshooters, Grafton reported it had heard of at least 10 customers affected in the Grafton area in the past fortnight and about the same amount in Coffs Harbour prior to that.

According to a Queensland police statement, the scam, which is sometimes known as 'Support on Click', involves people taking a call from a person working at a foreign call centre.

The caller claims to belong to a software support company that has been requested by Microsoft to fix problems on the victim's computer.

The offender confirms the victim's computer has sent error messages to Microsoft regarding problems with their Windows Explorer before directing the victim through a process on their computer, ultimately giving the offender remote access to the computer to download Trojans or gain access to personal information.

Once the offender has gained access, they will then give or sell the victim software in order to prevent this problem in the future. The victim, instead of downloading anti-virus software, unknowingly installs a virus on their computer which may be used to gather credit card data.

Microsoft's Asia-Pacific director for internet safety, Julie Inman Grant, confirmed the company was not contacting its customers by telephone.

"Microsoft will never cold-call a customer and request access to their computer system. Nor do we direct third-party support companies to do so," she said.....

However, to date I can find no specific mention of this attempt to deceive on scamwatch.gov.au. Australian Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy Stephen Conroy is apparently more interested in furthering his grand plans for censoring the Internet.

Conroy denies vendetta, but how many believe him?

Australian Communications Minister Senator Stephen Conroy was quick off the mark to deny any suggestion that his referral of Google Inc to the Australian Federal Police over its StreetView cars collecting digital information which they had no right to access.
Still, it's easy to imagine that he was filled with gleeful anticipation as he set the train in motion, against what he refers to as the "creepy" IT giant.
However Stevo appears more interested in getting his own hands on what he believes this data contains:
"(If) you were doing a banking transaction, or transmitting personal information, they could have hoovered it up, sucked it up into their machine," he told ABC TV yesterday.
"What we want to ensure now is that we get access to the information that's been collected.
"We want to know where it's stored, we want to know what the information is, and importantly we want to ensure that Google don't destroy this information." (Google has denied that it could read encrypted banking transactions).
Personally I'd be more worried about the Minister for Censorship & Moral Policing getting hold of any information downloaded from unsecured wireless connections, than I would be about Google having it.
Stevo's full frontal assault on basic freedoms in this country knows no bounds.