A Challenge For The Agmates Community – Say No To The Net-Nanny State

The Rudd government is in the process of introducing net filters that will give them total control over what Australians can access on the internet. This is not about fighting child po***graphy, you can already do that yourself by downloading the free net-nanny software.

This is about censoring anything that the government deems to be “unwanted material”. If you trust this government or the next one to be the sole arbitrator of what you can and can’t access on the internet, then do nothing. If you are thinking that than just remember the Haneef case, children overboard, AWB wheat scandal etc, etc, etc.

If the Rudd Government gets this legislation through, it will give them complete control over the internet. Australia will be a net-nanny state that has no peer in the free democratic world. Our peers will be in China, Iran, Turkey & North Korea.

If you don’t trust this government and any future governments to have the same control over Australian internet that the Chinese and Iranians governments have then here is what you can do about it right now.

The absolute best thing you can do is write (not email, they rarely read it) to Minister Conroy, PM Rudd and your Local Federal Member and Independent Senators.

From the EFA’s web site:

A personalized letter to the Minister sends a powerful message: We don’t like the policy, and we care. Letters can be sent to the Ministerial office:

Senator Stephen Conroy
Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy
Level 4, 4 Treasury Place
Melbourne
Vic 3002
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And the Prime Minister

The Hon Kevin Rudd
Prime Minister
PO Box 476,
Morningside
Qld 4170

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You can find your local federal members contact details here. An alphabetical list of Federal MP’s.

The 2 Senators that hold the balance of power are particularly important to write to.

Independent Senator
Steve Fielding
255 Blackburn Road
Mount Waverley
Vic 3149
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Independent Senator
Nick Xenophon
212 Grenfell Street
Adelaide
SA 5000
.

If you’d like to write to another Senator you can find their contact details here.

If you’re not sure what to say, you might wish to use the following as a template. You can just cut and paste this onto a word document or go to the bottom and click on the names of the people you’d like to mail to.

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Dear Minister,

As an Australian and an internet user, I have serious concerns about the mandatory Internet filtering initiative.

Given the importance your Government has attached to modernising Australia’s broadband network, pursuing a policy that can only slow down and increase the costs of home internet access seems misguided at best.

Australian households are diverse, and most do not have young children, so mandating a one-size-fits-all clean feed approach will not serve the public well. I don’t think it is the Government’s role to decide what’s appropriate for me or my children, and neither do most Australians.

Given the amount of Internet content available, the Government will never be able to classify it all and filters will always result in an unacceptable level of over-blocking.

I feel that the time and money could be spent in better ways both to protect children and improve Australia’s digital infrastructure. Australian parents need better education about the risks their children face online.

Trying to rid the Internet of adult content is futile, and can only distract from that mission.

I and the Agmates community urge you to stop this legislation. Please see our concerns on the Agmates web site http://www.agmates.com/blog … and type internet filtering into the search box at the bottom of the right hand column.

Sincerely,

(Your First & Last Name)

City / Town & State

I have posted off a letter to the 12 MP’s and Senators below. Each name is linked to the word document that I’ve mailed.

If you like just click on each one, change your contact details from mine at the bottom, and then print it off. Write up an envelop with the address, pop on a stamp and your done.

Just use or change one of them for your local member.

Senator Stephen Conroy

Prime Minister Kevin Rudd

Leader of the Opposition Malcolm Turnbull

Leader of the Nationals Warren Truss

Senate Nationals Leader Barnaby Joyce

Leader of Opposition in the Senate Nick Minchin

Leader of the Australian Greens Bob Brown

Independent Senator Steve Fielding

Independent Senator Nick Xenophon

Independent MP Tony Windsor

Independent MP Bob Katter

Independent MP Rob Oakeshott

The government must not be allowed to tamper with Australians right to ‘freedom of speech’ - not now, not ever.

So if your care about maintaining your personal freedom send your letters and THEN email this to everybody you know and ask them to do the same. Here is a number of links that will help you explain whats happening.

1. Internet Filtering Is dangerous because Australians Have NO Constitutional Right To Freedom of Speech

2. Journalist Glenn Milne – Too Many Holes In Rudd Governments Internet Filter

3. Government Tries To Gag Internet Filtering Critic

4. Internet Filtering Explained – 2 Videos

Good, now if you have sent your letters see if you can get just one other person to do it.

Just copy and paste the URL address that is at the top of your browser bar at the minute into an email and send it to everybody in your contact list with a message of what it is about and encourage them to send letters and send this onto there friends.

Have your say! Please let us know by way of comment when you have sent you letters, the feedback will encourage others.