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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"They need to be able to filter out global warming deniers."
By Ace
 
 
 
Comments: 8
frogg11
Mar 1, 2010 7:26 PM
If the Greens oppose the filter they will get my vote.
KJ
Mar 1, 2010 9:56 PM
and mine
Mark D
Mar 1, 2010 10:02 PM
love the caption.

Agreed with the above.
Freda
Mar 2, 2010 1:22 AM
Whilst there are senators of the opposition that have been supportive of activism against clean feed, the opposition in the lower house appears to have been deadly quiet on the issue.

I think this is because the issue is "too hot" and they're waiting for Australia to tell them what to think to grub for votes. Similarly, unless Conroy is silly enough to think he can push through Clean Feed at all, he'd be smart to wait until after the election because the Labor voters are leaking like a sieve at the moment.

My bet is on the Greens winning more votes this year. I only hope they preference themselves.
Freda
Mar 2, 2010 1:25 AM
@ frogg11 The Greens, Democrats, Socialist Alliance, Liberal Democratic Party, Sex Party, Pirate Party and basically everyone but Senator Conroy and people toeing the party line in Labor and the Coalition are against clean feed.

Obvious exceptions like the religious right aside, although I hear the Australian Christian Lobby turned the other cheek when anti-abortion sites were blacklisted. But don't quote me on that.
Ace
Mar 2, 2010 12:45 PM
It is clearly 'too hot' due to global warming. The Greens should rally to stop this insanity. Now!
anonymous
Mar 2, 2010 1:08 PM

It's vital that Conboy's obsession with secret government censorship gets dumped, but despite some Green supporters talking their book here and elsewhere, the Greens still have not unequivocally said "We will vote against it".

Why not??
Ace
Mar 2, 2010 2:56 PM
They need to be able to filter out global warming deniers.
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