Comments on: Conroy a fearless combatant in the war against free speech http://www.crikey.com.au/2008/10/30/conroy-a-fearless-combatant-in-the-war-against-free-speech/ now with extra source Tue, 24 Nov 2009 04:47:11 +1100 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.6 hourly 1 By: David http://www.crikey.com.au/2008/10/30/conroy-a-fearless-combatant-in-the-war-against-free-speech/#comment-13888 David Thu, 01 Jan 1970 10:00:00 +0000 #comment-13888 Like Michael and Sean I read Bernard's article with interest and agreement. I find Conroy to be a very inefficient, somewhat evasive, aloof Minister who hasn't excelled in any of his areas responsibility. This latest childish attitude ,of insinuating anyone who disagrees with his latest internet censorship is a peodophile ,smacks of a dont argue or you must be one threat. Lay off the questions, I have no intention of answering appears to be his defence. Im amazed Rudd hasn't demanded he start performing, sooner or later the pidgeons will come home to roost and the boss will have to start answering for this odd piece of work. Obviously the ABC are enjoying having him as a Minister, there appears to be no ensuring the Charter is being adhered to. Soft commercialisation is becoming a joke. I also see the reliance on Sen Feildings vote as a devil in disguise. This guy is a dunce, his influence on behalf of 2% of the electorate is rediculous. Heaven knows where he gets his ideas from, they sure are not from this world. Like Michael and Sean I read Bernard’s article with interest and agreement. I find Conroy to be a very inefficient, somewhat evasive, aloof Minister who hasn’t excelled in any of his areas responsibility. This latest childish attitude ,of insinuating anyone who disagrees with his latest internet censorship is a peodophile ,smacks of a dont argue or you must be one threat. Lay off the questions, I have no intention of answering appears to be his defence. Im amazed Rudd hasn’t demanded he start performing, sooner or later the pidgeons will come home to roost and the boss will have to start answering for this odd piece of work. Obviously the ABC are enjoying having him as a Minister, there appears to be no ensuring the Charter is being adhered to. Soft commercialisation is becoming a joke. I also see the reliance on Sen Feildings vote as a devil in disguise. This guy is a dunce, his influence on behalf of 2% of the electorate is rediculous. Heaven knows where he gets his ideas from, they sure are not from this world.

]]> By: Steve http://www.crikey.com.au/2008/10/30/conroy-a-fearless-combatant-in-the-war-against-free-speech/#comment-13889 Steve Thu, 01 Jan 1970 10:00:00 +0000 #comment-13889 Halfway through this article became so hysterical it lost its worth. You're either extremely for or extremely against filtering the internet morally and that tends to decide the entire tone of your argument. This wasn't any better than most of the coverage - not being measured at all. Halfway through this article became so hysterical it lost its worth. You’re either extremely for or extremely against filtering the internet morally and that tends to decide the entire tone of your argument. This wasn’t any better than most of the coverage - not being measured at all.

]]> By: Michael http://www.crikey.com.au/2008/10/30/conroy-a-fearless-combatant-in-the-war-against-free-speech/#comment-13890 Michael Thu, 01 Jan 1970 10:00:00 +0000 #comment-13890 Completely agree with Sean's comments. Conroy was on the RN Media Report this morning, and either refused to answer (very relevant and reasonable) questions, or just flat-out lied:<br /><br />http://www.abc.net.au/rn/mediareport/stories/2008/2405376.htm#transcript<br /><br />Disgraceful. That's it - I'm joining the Greens.<br /><br />...and no, I'm not "pro child pornography". Completely agree with Sean’s comments. Conroy was on the RN Media Report this morning, and either refused to answer (very relevant and reasonable) questions, or just flat-out lied:

http://www.abc.net.au/rn/mediareport/stories/2008/2405376.htm#transcript

Disgraceful. That’s it - I’m joining the Greens.

…and no, I’m not “pro child pornography”.

]]> By: Sean the Blogonaut http://www.crikey.com.au/2008/10/30/conroy-a-fearless-combatant-in-the-war-against-free-speech/#comment-13891 Sean the Blogonaut Thu, 01 Jan 1970 10:00:00 +0000 #comment-13891 @Steve<br /><br />Could you please point me to the hysterical part of the post?<br /><br /> @Steve

Could you please point me to the hysterical part of the post?

]]> By: Sean the Blogonaut http://www.crikey.com.au/2008/10/30/conroy-a-fearless-combatant-in-the-war-against-free-speech/#comment-13892 Sean the Blogonaut Thu, 01 Jan 1970 10:00:00 +0000 #comment-13892 A balanced reporting of the situation. Personally i find the ministers behaviour repugnant. That he cloaks his anti democratic agenda in a false concern for children I find deplorable and exasperating. Spending 40 million on filter that will have no effect on Child porn producers or consumers, but saying it will. Just what Senator Conroy stands for I don't know. A balanced reporting of the situation. Personally i find the ministers behaviour repugnant. That he cloaks his anti democratic agenda in a false concern for children I find deplorable and exasperating. Spending 40 million on filter that will have no effect on Child porn producers or consumers, but saying it will. Just what Senator Conroy stands for I don’t know.

]]> By: JackAlison http://www.crikey.com.au/2008/10/30/conroy-a-fearless-combatant-in-the-war-against-free-speech/#comment-13893 JackAlison Thu, 01 Jan 1970 10:00:00 +0000 #comment-13893 There is a precedent running through Senator Conroy’s agenda. I believe it started with the police raid on newspaper offices in WA a while back and more recently with a Canberra journalist being investigated by the AFP for his sources. Most importantly it is the waning power of the religious right stepping up its assault on Australian cultural life. This began with the extraordinary saga of Bill Henson’s photographs and the accompanying accusations thrown not only at Henson but at the arts community. Full marks to the government in wedging a distant ‘cultural elite’ against ‘Aussie battlers,’ whoops! excuse me ‘working families.’ There is now a new panic button that politicians can push if they wish to control and subdue the masses. The war on terror and its media beat up has exhausted itself and run its course. The new terror is child porn and it will be used as an ideological weapon rather like a McCarthyist<br /> witch hunt to bring down draconian policies in order to govern through fear. This weapon is so powerful and so deeply ingrained in the subconscious that as we have seen through the hysteria surrounding the Henson saga it is guilt through inference and NOT through criminal conviction. Or to put differently in this instance, if you disagree with the internet filtering being proposed you are a suspect and therefore not to be trusted. There is a precedent running through Senator Conroy’s agenda. I believe it started with the police raid on newspaper offices in WA a while back and more recently with a Canberra journalist being investigated by the AFP for his sources. Most importantly it is the waning power of the religious right stepping up its assault on Australian cultural life. This began with the extraordinary saga of Bill Henson’s photographs and the accompanying accusations thrown not only at Henson but at the arts community. Full marks to the government in wedging a distant ‘cultural elite’ against ‘Aussie battlers,’ whoops! excuse me ‘working families.’ There is now a new panic button that politicians can push if they wish to control and subdue the masses. The war on terror and its media beat up has exhausted itself and run its course. The new terror is child porn and it will be used as an ideological weapon rather like a McCarthyist
witch hunt to bring down draconian policies in order to govern through fear. This weapon is so powerful and so deeply ingrained in the subconscious that as we have seen through the hysteria surrounding the Henson saga it is guilt through inference and NOT through criminal conviction. Or to put differently in this instance, if you disagree with the internet filtering being proposed you are a suspect and therefore not to be trusted.

]]> By: Kel http://www.crikey.com.au/2008/10/30/conroy-a-fearless-combatant-in-the-war-against-free-speech/#comment-13894 Kel Thu, 01 Jan 1970 10:00:00 +0000 #comment-13894 Surely the Greens can't be onside for something like this. Courting Fielding and Xenophon won't be enough unless some of the coalition jump ship. This is a very frightening time for free speech and the last bastion of it (the internet). Having an opt-in system over browser based filtering is bad enough. Having an opt-out system over an opt-in is even worse. Having an opt-out system where you can't opt-out is a tragedy in a liberal democracy. <br /><br />Here's hoping there's some sense among the other parties and the Conroy / Fielding reacharound stays behind closed doors (or at the very worst appears on redtube) Surely the Greens can’t be onside for something like this. Courting Fielding and Xenophon won’t be enough unless some of the coalition jump ship. This is a very frightening time for free speech and the last bastion of it (the internet). Having an opt-in system over browser based filtering is bad enough. Having an opt-out system over an opt-in is even worse. Having an opt-out system where you can’t opt-out is a tragedy in a liberal democracy.

Here’s hoping there’s some sense among the other parties and the Conroy / Fielding reacharound stays behind closed doors (or at the very worst appears on redtube)

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