Everybody remembers when their granddad would sit them on their knee and enthusiastically recall a crazy story that happened to them in 1939. It was likely a ripper of a yarn. Unfortunately for you, Granddad probably forgot he’d already told you the same story the last fifty times you visited. Senator Conroy is a lot like your granddad when it comes to stories.
You see, it’s been over a year since Conroy announced mandatory ISP filtering would go ahead and he still says his plan for filtering doesn’t breach free speech.
Here’s an example of the stories he has been telling:
If people equate freedom of speech with watching child pornography, then the Rudd-Labor Government is going to disagree. – Senator Conroy, ABC News,
We are happy to have an open debate about these technical issues. However, the Government does not view this debate as an argument about freedom of speech.
Freedom of speech is fundamentally important in a democratic society and there was never any suggestion that the Australian Government would seek to block political content.
In this context, claims that the Government’s policy is analogous to the approach taken by countries such as Iran, China and Saudi Arabia are not justified. – Senator Conroy, DBCDE Blog, Dec 22, 2008
And while we acknowledge there are technical issues to be tested, the Government does not view this debate as an argument about freedom of speech.
Freedom of speech is fundamentally important in a democratic society and there has never been any suggestion that the Australian Government would seek to block political content.
In this context, claims that the Government’s policy is analogous to the approach taken by countries such as Iran, China and Saudi Arabia are not justified. – Senator Conroy, ALIA Information Online 2009 Speech, Jan 20, 2009
Anyone else hear an echo?
And today:
And while we acknowledge there are technical issues to be tested, the Government does not view this debate as an argument about freedom of speech.
Freedom of speech is fundamentally important in a democratic society. – Senator Conroy, Australian IT, Feb 17, 2009
His actions and policy say otherwise.
Only last month ACMA declared an anti-abortion website to be prohibited content, the type of content Senator Conroy intends to prohibit Australian adults from viewing.
Not only that, half of the content on the existing ACMA blacklist is classified (or potentially classified) RC, X-18+ and R-18+, which is legal to own or purchase in this country (with the exception of RC in WA and prescribed areas of the NT). As of 30 November 2008, less than half the 1370 URLs on ACMA’s blacklist “relate to” child pornography or child abuse material.
In his press-release-turned-opinion-piece for Australian IT, Senator Conroy says the Government has no plans to extend the definition of prohibited material, but it doesn’t need to. The current system already restricts content that is legal for you and I to view.
When you take steps to stop adults from viewing legal content, you are taking steps to restrict freedom of speech.
The details of your granddad’s stories probably changed each time he told them, as did your reason to believe the authenticity of the entire story all together. We can put that down to old age and a keen imagination. What’s Senator Conroy’s excuse?
