Jim Wallace
Managing Director of the Australian Christian Lobby, Jim Wallace, has urged his members to write to Senator Conroy and thank him for ‘protecting kids’ with the Government’s Internet filtering plan.
Wallace says members of the sex trade and civil libertarians are violently opposed to the plan and it’s important Senator Conroy hears from them. Of course it is. It’s also important he hears from YOU (as should your local MP).
In a press release yesterday Wallace also said the report proved the technological principle of filtering can be extended to ‘other harmful X and R rated material on the Internet’. He said such content filtering should be reviewed and practiced in three years.
Here is Jim’s letter in full (first published on Whirlpool).
In Brief:
* Government moves to filter porn from internet.
* Sex trade and civil libertarians violently oppose this.
* Please write to Communications Minister Stephen Conroy to thank him for protecting kids.Dear ACL Supporter
It is important Governments don’t just hear from us when we want something. It is vital we thank them when they announce good policy.
Yesterday the Communications Minister Stephen Conroy announced that the Rudd Government will make it compulsory for Internet Service Providers to filter the worst of the worst pornography and violence from the internet.
This means that child porn, rape porn, bestiality and anything else judged as Refused Classification (RC) under Australia’s classification laws, such as instruction in crime and drug use, will be blocked.
This is a great first step in protecting children from the harms of pornography online.
Legislation is to be introduced next year giving effect to this policy. In addition, ISPs will be encouraged, and given incentives, to offer optional filtering of X and R rated pornography on a voluntary basis.
No one argues that books, films and magazines should not be subject to this form of appropriate censorship. Now this is beginning to be extended to the internet, where of course children are particularly susceptible to being exposed to harmful content.
Trials have shown RC content from overseas websites can be effectively blocked with negligible impact on internet speed.
Sadly, the sex trade, and some internet civil libertarians who believe there should be no control over the internet, are violently opposed and are putting out much misinformation in the media.
It is important that the Communications Minister Stephen Conroy hears from us – real people with real concerns for the safety of kids online. Please take a moment to write to Senator Conroy and thank him. A personal letter would be most effective, but we also understand this is a busy time of year and an email may be more convenient. His contact details are:
Senator Stephen Conroy
Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy
Level 4, 4 Treasury Place
Melbourne Vic 3002His e-mail address is senator.conroy@aph.gov.au.
Thanks in anticipation of your response. May I take this opportunity to wish you and your family a blessed Christmas.
God bless
Jim Wallace AM
Managing Director
See Bernard Keane’s guide to writing to Ministers and get cracking.
For the latest media coverage (and there’s lots of it), click here.
24 comments
Nikki says:
Dec 16, 2009
Wallace is creepy. That’s all I really have to say about that for now.
Cameron says:
Dec 16, 2009
The ACL have been quiet on their real aim, they are prepared to approach it incrementally and this is phase one.
The ACL want to ban X18+ material from Australia, they even has a campaign they went quiet on when http://www.makeastand.org.au/campaign/index.stw?campaign_id=14
Within a few hours of Conroy announcement they have started planning for the next phase, review in three years to assess whether X18+ and R18+ content can be filtered.
ACL == Scope Creeps
Aaron says:
Dec 16, 2009
Violently opposed? As much as I would like to kick Stephen Conroy in the nuts, I don’t see cases of people being assaulted over Internet Censorship.
Jeremy says:
Dec 16, 2009
Ha. Hadn’t seen the ACL page on the Marriage Equality Enquiry – they go straight from announcing the enquiry to quoting Keysar Trad talking about polygamy.
Shameless group of liars. Very unchristian.
I think there’s a typo in your heading – you forgot to put quotes around the middle word. It’s the Australian “Christian” Lobby.
Jeremy says:
Dec 16, 2009
“real people with real concerns for the safety of kids online”
Whereas the rest of us are pretend people, and our criticism of legislation that won’t in any way protect kids online (and will in fact do the opposite) makes us “violent”.
He’s an evil little liar, Jim.
Listen to what Conroy’s telling them, not what he’s telling us « An Onymous Lefty says:
Dec 16, 2009
[...] You know the ACL is campaigning to have nonviolent erotica criminalised – well, here’s Wallace to his supporters [...]
AC says:
Dec 17, 2009
Religion is the root of all evil.
Icaria says:
Dec 17, 2009
TBH, I’d rather write a letter on the behalf of the ACL, than as an opponent of this policy. Except I’ll forgo the flowery delivery; stating clearly and unequivocally what I, as a, “supporter of the ACL”, stand for.
This is assuming the ACL aren’t already (and not undeservedly) lobbyist pariahs, with all but Fielding and Abbot’s offices.
A VERY SMELLY CHRISTMAS « SMELLY TONGUES says:
Dec 18, 2009
[...] self-anointed protectors of “our” morality now feel they have the right to dictate to us what we may read and see on the internet, or even what films do or do not get [...]
Tor User says:
Dec 19, 2009
The ACL would no doubt thank Conroy for witch burnings, the Inquisition, and holy war if such things were going on. Yesterday they burnt books to protect the children, today they ban video games and movies, tomorrow they’ll block websites. The more things change, the more they stay the same. The Bible has more depictions of rape, incest, violence, genocide, coprolagnia, murder, gambling, etc. than most things they scream to ban. Isn’t hypocrisy a sin?
Craig says:
Dec 20, 2009
Thanking Senator Conroy is a good idea, but we should go further.
We need to ask him to legislate that children must brush their teeth twice each day, eat a serve of vegetables with every meal and do well at school. Perhaps we could suggest a ‘three strikes’ approach where we take away their passport and ship them to Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Fiji or a similar country if they break these laws three times.
The Senator would become the literal ‘father’ of our nation, allowing the rest of us parents to ignore and neglect our own children as is our civic right.
Previous governments have tried and failed to allow parents to live the lifestyles they deserve, despite our children. Maybe this one will finally achieve the long foretold paternal state.
Gareth says:
Dec 20, 2009
This is all so moronic it’s untrue. Nobody wants children to be exposed to things they shouldn’t be but tell us Senator, how many children download child porn at the moment ?
The way it’s being done is deplorable; it’s being dressed up as the decent thing to do for the sake of all Australian children and if you’re against it, well, you’re indecent.
It’s also hideously ill-informed. There are no such thing as child porn websites because child porn IS ILLEGAL. The sickos that want this material dont get it through websites, they use P2P, email, FTP and even VPN connections.
And then there’s the big brotherness of it all. You can bet your house that content will be banned by people you don’t know, and once they’ve started with RC content (which includes what?) then next it’ll be whatever a bunch of idiotic holier-than-thou morons want.
Parents should protect their children from material they don’t want them to see by PARENTING. This is what I do.
Daniel says:
Dec 20, 2009
This whole scheme is turning into a farce of such fantastic proportions that I can hardly believe what’s happening any more. The only way I can understand it is to ascribe total stubborn pigheadedness or wilful ignorance to people like Wallace. I mean: bring it on folks! – the bottom line is: the filter will be so absolutely useless, there are so many ways around it that it’s just ridiculous.
Never mind the free speech debate: because nothing of any significance will actually be blocked by this filter.
The fact is: the technology is just not there to effectively censor the internet without also degrading its performance to such an extent that Aussies would just flat out revolt. So the filter will be useless and achieve nothing.
Which makes me wonder why then, if people like Wallace are sincere in their convictions, are they so in love with it?
An analogy: the ACL wanting all porn shops closed down, so instead the government proposes it all be put in a back room, but freely accessible by anyone who wants it as long as they walk through a door, no matter if they’re 6 or 60. How effective would that be? This “filter”: it’s just laughable.
NJC says:
Dec 21, 2009
Religion is the root of all evil.
By AC on Dec 17, 2009
The above statement is false. Don’t blame all religion because of one man or group. What we’re seeing is one man using religion as his soapbox from which to make pronouncements. People or groups like him is what gives religion a bad name, but they are definitely not representatives for all religion. Please don’t make that mistake. A truer statement is:
People are the root of all evil.
Matt says:
Dec 22, 2009
The above statement is false. Don’t blame all religion because of one man or group.
By NJC on Dec 21, 2009
Unfortunately you are mistaken. Recent studies have shown correlations between higher rates of atheism and low crime, higher pay, better health and education.
http://whywontgodhealamputees.com/forums/index.php?topic=2076.0
Crocodile says:
Dec 22, 2009
See what religion gets people into? As a result of RELIGION we are stuck in this mess of idiots bastardizing society and ruining the future. With censorship porn and NC material is NOT the only thing that can be blocked. And trust me a trial on 15 people is not accurate considering you are going to implement the system on 17 million plus people.
KT says:
Dec 22, 2009
You’re right NJC
Religion isn’t evil
It’s just the extremist like the ACL and Wallace that are evil (no matter how noble they think they are).
Matt says:
Dec 22, 2009
Much like Religion, political ideology shouldn’t be a focus in this debate either. It may be a factor but does one Christian speak for all Christians?
Who cares if Rudd is left or Abbott right? They’re just wrong (If Indeed Abbott is against it). It’s early days and so far no word on his view on the filter.
Despite all that we need to bury this bill deeper than any before it.
Li says:
Dec 23, 2009
Look, as a libertarian I’m definitely opposed to the filtering, but he makes an excellent point here:
“No one argues that books, films and magazines should not be subject to this form of appropriate censorship. Now this is beginning to be extended to the internet”
To all of you guys making utilitarian “it will slow down the internet” arguments instead of natural law/beware of central government power/classical liberal ones, if the technical hurdles are somehow (I know it is unlikely, but just bear with me) overcome AND you are indeed in favour of censorship of books, films, etc, do you still have a case?
Mitch says:
Dec 31, 2009
Of course. Goddammit why are the “Christian” parties always on the ultra-conservative side of politics? Jesus was such a huge lefty.
Bah whatever, another bunch of nimrods who think it’s everybody elses fault but theirs that their children saw a boob or something.
Lauren says:
Jan 31, 2010
Violently Opposed? Yes, because after reading this I want to smack Wallace square in the face and break his glasses. Using religion as his little play thing in order to project his ideals? What a manipulative little weasel.
Sally Abravanel says:
Mar 6, 2010
Religion not evil? *snort*
Let’s start with the Moses’ thuggish, bullying ‘god’ of mountains and bush-fires pimping underage Canaanite virgins to Joshua’s jihadis in Numbers 31:1-54, the violent misogynist sexuality of Ezekiel and Jeremiah or the frank psychopathology of John and Revelations — not to mention the floggings, mutilations, stonings and beheadings advocated in the Qu’ran.
Anyone who wants to govern our societies in accordance with the ‘laws’ promulgated by invisible friends should be tarred and feathered and thrown into the gutter where they belong.
m&a says:
Mar 30, 2010
reading this shit it is no wonder people laugh at you clowns – go protect your own kids you deadshits and keep out of my house with your loony ideas – go away – disturb my peaceful life and there will be trouble – go hide under your rock wallace and piss off out of other’s lives – get the message deadshit
Barrie says:
Jun 30, 2010
First off, I am opposed to the interference of church in state matters, church and state MUST be kept separate.
Secondly, Mr Wallace states that the sex trade, and some internet civil libertarians are opposed to the internet filter but forgets to mention that 96% of the public, in a recent poll, are against the filter http://filter-conroy.org/index.html
Thirdly, the filter will not work and WILL cause considerable slowdowns on net traffic.
Child pornography and other crimes and practices of a like nature are deplorable but this filter is not the way to stop these things and will not stop these things happening.
The filter will be an imposition on the public and business. Has Senator Conroy canvassed industry, particularly the communications sector, on the effects of the filter?
If you want to stop or prevent the exploitation of children you would be better off exposing it on the net by exposing the damage done and the exploiters. Human trafficking of children and women is part of this, its a huge issue and the internet can help expose it.
All that Sen Conroy’s filter will do will be to impose a useless filter on an already overburdened internet, it will be no better and no more use than spam.