Greens torpedo any chance of internet filter

The Greens have ratcheted up pressure on Prime Minister Julia Gillard to dump the controversial internet filtering policy ahead of the looming Federal election, saying it is one policy the ALP will regret taking into the poll.

In a lengthy speech in the Senate, Greens communications spokesman, senator Scott Ludlam, has roundly condemned the Government's mandatory filtering plan and set out a three-pronged alternative approach to protecting children online.

The Gillard Government is a step closer to introducing mandatory filtering of Refused Classification content from the internet with the release of a set of accountability and transparency measures that will apply to the policy.

Although The Greens have consistently opposed the Internet Filter, the Liberals have until now seemed to be somewhat ambivalent in their opposition.  This appears to be changing.

The Australian Greens may have again demonstrated their power with the Gillard Government, by squeezing the brakes on its plans to automatically privatise NBN Co once the national broadband network is completed, but they are not counting any chickens just yet.

... and if Labor wins at the next election it will claim a clear mandate to immediately implement its unpopular internet filtering plan.

Electronic Frontiers Australia (EFA) today welcomed survey results showing Australian Internet users might not vote Labor again at the next election due to Internet filtering.

Legislation supporting Labor's mandatory internet filtering project may not hit parliament until mid-2013, according to advice provided to Stephen Conroy by his department -- a timeframe which may make it an issue in the next election.

Written by: Sam Varghese | Published in: Open SauceThe Australian government and the Opposition are operating as flunkeys of the US government by voting down a proposal from the Greens to open up the discussions on the Trans Pacific Partnership Agreement.