[LINK] Senate Standing Committee: NetAlert/Mandatory filtering updates

[Ivan Trundle]

On 19/02/2008, at 5:11 PM, Richard Archer wrote:

> My understanding is that the current system as implemented was
> only ever intended to allow the government to state that they
> had met their promise. Which as I recall was mostly part of
> the deal with harradine.

This is true. Back then, his vote counted (sadly).

Kate Lundy (Labor, ACT) was about the only person on the Senate Select  
Committee who had any idea of what the internet was: she had the  
temerity to bring a laptop to the hearings, and was reprimanded for  
making 'computer noises', and for being a smart-arse, amongst other  
things.

It wasn't pretty, and Harradine got his way. However, I believe that  
those present felt that they had 'done their duty' and that it was  
better than doing nothing at all, no matter how misguided.

I'm sure that other Linkers were present for all or part of the  
hearings: it was quite painful, and if anything was a reflection of  
how difficult it was for experts to communicate to one-eyed  
parliamentarians the absolute facts. In defence of the pollies, some  
of the experts called only proved to obfuscate the matter.

I'm sure that some witnesses to the current committee hearing will  
observe that nothing has changed.

iT