Greens: Filter issue is too hot for election year

Senate constipated.

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The Australian Greens were looking for a way to "knock on the head" internet filtering legislation to be introduced to Parliament as early as this month, according to Western Australian Senator Scott Ludlam.

Speaking at the Kickstart Forum [see photo gallery], Ludlam predicted that the Federal Opposition would also attempt to stall the introduction of the legislation, but he said the Opposition's policy position on the issue remained unclear.

He believed the Opposition was planning to block most legislation in the Senate.

He described the tactic as "cynical", as it could make it seem the Government had not achieved anything by the time the Federal election was called later this year.

"The Senate at the moment could be politely described as constipated," he said. "It is very difficult to pass anything through there at the moment - partly because there is a huge mass of complex legislation that is supposed to be going through.

"We will probably get the Telstra bill passed but I am going to predict right now that the net filter bill will not be on the table before the election - and i think probably they are going to struggle to get the broadband legislation through."

Ludlam said his party's goal was to have the Government rethink its proposed introduction of ISP-level filtering.

Munir Kotadia contributed to this story.

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