South Australian Liberal Senator Simon Birmingham has described Kevin Rudd’s filtering policy as an ill-considered and dangerous policy with the potential to inflict serious harm on a variety of levels.

Senator Scott Birmingham

Senator Scott Birmingham

In a letter to a Whirlpool member, Birmingham says Labor’s compulsory filtering would potentially dramatically slow internet access at a time when Australia needs faster internet access and risks making parents become complacent in monitoring their children’s use of the internet.

The letter is published below in full. 

Thankyou for your comprehensive and considered letter outlining your concerns in regards to compulsory internet filtering.

Let me assure you that I share your views in regards to Labor’s compulsory internet filtering program. This is an ill-considered and dangerous policy with the potential to inflict serious harm on a variety of levels.

I believe the right to free speech is fundamental to the Australian way of life and to Australian values. It should only be restricted in the most extreme circumstances.

As such, I will consider the Labor proposal for compulsory internet filtering at the ISP level therough the prism of maintaining free speech whereve possible and struggle to envisage circumstances in which I would support it. Whilst I acknowledge the need to protect children from undesirable elements on the internet, the proposed compulsory filtering risks being flawed in both ideology and practice.

Labor’s compulsory filtering would potentially dramatically slow internet access at a time when Australia needs faster internet access. You are right to highlight the absurdity of Senator Conroy’s bizarre remarks on this issues and his refusal to address the conflict between his competing goals.

The former Liberal government made free filters available to parents around the country. Placing responsibility in the home is the best way to ensure that children do not access inappropriate material online, through both voluntary access to filters and closely monitoring the internet use of children.

Of paramount concern to me is the risk that parents may become complacent in monitoring their children’s use of the internet if a mandatory filter is introduced. If Senator Conroy thinks that blocking access to child pornography will make the internet safe for children, he is severely misguided. There are many dangers for children online, ranging from chat rooms to sites about drugs, legal pornography, racism etc.

Furthermore, the technological capabilities of current filters make accurate filtering impossible. As you have outline in some detail, the testing of filters to date has been flawed and failures brushed aside.

I have questioned this proposal in Senate Estimates from the earliest days of the Labor governments and will continue to fight this proposal and hope that senator Conroy backs down from what is an untenable position.

Thankyou again for taking the time to bring your concerns on this important matter to my attention.