It had been thought that when Julia Gillard took over the Australian government that she would allow a little bit of common sense to happen in Aussie politics.
However, it seems that Gillard is cut from the same mold which believes that Australians are precious snowflakes who need protection from the rest of the world.
According to the Sydney Morning Herald, she is going to press ahead with plans to filter the internet Chinese style and cut Australians from a stream of information that the government thinks is too dangerous for them.
n Julia Gillard's first comments on the filter since becoming Prime Minister, she told ABC Radio in Darwin that the proposal was an effort to control the dark side of communications technology.
Again she drummed up the image of child porn and abuse which she claims you are able to see on the Internet but for some reason cannot see in a movie theatre. No we didn't get the link either.
Gillard indicated that the Communications Minister, Stephen Conroy, might tweak parts of the proposed filter before it is introduced. But given Conroy's own spittle reactionary approach to web censorship is legendary, Australians who actually want to use the Internet like ordinary citizens of the world will probably have to vote the Labour government out.
Unfortunately the Australian opposition has yet to announced that it is against the filter. It seems that the government feels that there is a chance here to control citizens through net use and although the opposition does not want to be the one to make the unpopular move, it also sees the advantage of not dismantling it.
After all, what government would not like to control the information that citizens get on contentious issues such as abortion and human rights?
Gillard admitted that there were technical concerns that Conroy's filters will slow the Aussie internet down and will take away legitimate use of the internet.
Gillard's comments have won backing from the Christian group FamilyVoice Australia.
Spokeswoman, Ros Phillips, said she was ''delighted'' the government's position was being maintained.
However given that christian groups in Australia look at the internet as created by Satan as a method to draw people to the anti-christ we can't see how they can be taken seriously.
There had been hopes that Gillard's rule of the Labour Party would be a move to common sense. However it appears that she is exactly like her predecessor. Hopefully the Australian people will show that they do not want this sort of censorship in their lives and vote against any party that tries to bring it in. Don't hold your breath though.
Story by Nick Farrell www.techeye.net
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