JS

Lindsay, Thanks for the opportunity etc., but gee, in relation to the Filtering policy, I thought we just voted out a Govt fueled by (Prime) Ministerial obsessions and personal ideologies? Didn't we just vote in a Government that was going to rely on "independent research and expert advice"? I'm sure we could all pull up many a campaign talking point to remind you of the promised differences between your Govt and the last. And you do realise that opposition to this policy is just getting started, i.e.. the comments on this "blog" for instance, aren't the outpouring of some outlier niche group of techno-freaks. And if you are desperately trying to convince yourselves of this, I'd suggest you watch the last episode of the Howard Years again, where Ratty & co. were still continuing to spout that Workchoices was defeated ONLY, because of a great union-organised and funded campaign rather than the reality that when AWA's hit the hospitality/retail/manufacturing sector for real and employers dudded workers across the land, that the Yr Rights at Work campaign was merely vindicated. Imagine 10 million people/businesses logging to find their internet speeds are 70% less and half their Google searches are missing etc.... And secondly, if the recent election of a relatively unknown black Presidential candidate, who using the web and internet was able to out-spend and out-campaign old 'direct marketing' hands like the RNC isn't enough to convince you of the folly of taking on a digitally connected populace, then nothing will. Come on Lindsay... and Kevin, Julia and John (Faulkner) pull Conroy into line and dump this dog of an idea. It's also a pity that your worthy IT&C initiatives are going to be swamped and overlooked with the on-going and growing fallout from this 'crazee filtering' policy. And as Finance Minister watching good money being thrown after bad can't be a good feeling in these tightened times. Looking forward to the back down - just make it soon, ok?