Stephen Conroy – the man whose dodgy preference dealing gave us Steve Fielding, and the man who’s determined to lock Australia’s access to the internet behind a Great Firewall like China’s – is now briefing people on the results of the net filtering trial.
Birds of a feather – Fielding, Conroy and Wallace
Did I say people? Sorry, I meant “a person”. And by “a person”, I meant Jim “stop denying me my right to deny you your rights” Wallace of the misleadingly-named “Australian Christian Lobby”. None of the other stakeholders – just a heads-up for the people who are likely to be the appalling idea’s only cheerleaders.
Could he find no-one in the commentariat on either side who’d be likely to champion it? The only one who tried previously is now a candidate for the one party that’s most determined to stop it – so he’s out.
If the results of the trial were positive, Conroy would be launching them with fanfare – particularly at a time when the Liberals are in disarray. Filtering is another issue which drives a wedge between the fundamentalist and economic bases of the party. But instead he is left trying to build support for his dog of a policy behind closed doors – and, apparently, without calling on even one prominent media pundit. That’s very revealing indeed.
(Via Daphon in the comments.)
8 Comments
Is it true that I read somewhere Conroy has links to Opus Dei, or was that Liberal party smearing during the last election campaign?
Conroy’s chief sin, even if he does have links to OD, is that (like so many politicians with portfolios) he knows sweet fuckall about the issues that he has to address. These days, a modicum of technical knowledge (or, at least, the balls to take advice when it is offered) is required in a comms minister, I’d guess.
Somebody has asked whether the filter will protect them from photographs of politicians in budgie-smugglers.
Maybe there is a way for Conroy to get support for it, after all.
Wowsers – Enforcing their standards, derived from fairy tales on others! Can’t stand them!
Fielding and Conroy – same man, different hair?
Annoying thing is the average Labour voter would believe his rubbish about how this so called filter will actually do something.