James Riley
Thursday, 18 February 2010 21:58
Opinion and Analysis
Page 1 of 3
The politics of the internet filter is looking a lot more interesting today than it was just a few weeks ago. Suddenly the Government is under some pressure. More than ever, Communications Minister Stephen Conroy needs a win.
And given that Government will need the Liberals to back its filter policy in the Senate, that win is anything but assured.
A month ago, the internet filter policy seemed a matter of ticking the boxes of process. The filter trial results were in, the Minister announced that he was happy the policy was technically feasible. A consultation process was in train. And the legislation was on schedule to lob into Parliament in the Autumn sitting.
Now look where we are. Senate Estimates has the Minister on the back foot, via Mike Kaiser and the whiff of a job for one of the boys. Estimates also told Senators that the Minister was unlikely to make public the KPMG-McKinsey lead advisers report on the NBN – the so-called cost benefit analysis for the broadband network that the Opposition and Greens have been baying for months
And a gifted $250 million in spectrum rebates to the free-to-air networks has him in a crouch, duck and cover-style. (That's before the chance meeting with Kerry Stokes in an exclusive ski resort in the US gets thrown in.)
Everyone's favourite search engine Google then delivered its 'No Minister' over apparent requests that it voluntarily remove material from its high-traffic YouTube video service to help deliver the Government’s filter goals. By midweek, even the Librarians were chucking brickbats at him.
