[Greens-Media] Web ban bill should not pass

[Lawson, Damien (Sen K. Nettle)]

20.09.07

Web ban bill should not pass

Greens Senator Kerry Nettle has attacked the government's web ban bill
introduced into Parliament today.
 
The Communications Legislation Amendment (Crime or Terrorism Related
Internet Content) Bill 2007 will give the Australian Federal Police
Commissioner the power to block access to websites he says are crime or
terrorism related.

"This a major attack on all Australians civil rights", Senator Nettle
said.

"The banning or blocking of so-called crime or terrorism related
websites gives the Commissioner enormous power over what political
content Australians can look at on the web."

"There are no clear criteria or definitions of the scope of
Commissioner's power this is sweeping power which could potentially be
applied to millions of websites."

"The Australian Federal Police Commissioner should not be the arbiter of
what we can read, see or hear on the net."

"This will be another enormous burden on Australian internet service
providers and the IT industry already facing growing costs imposed by
other national security legislation."

"There is a role for limiting certain websites but there needs to be due
process, judicial oversight and clear criteria."

"In the past environmental organisations such as Greenpeace has been
accused of crime and terrorism related action. Will the Police
Commissioner shutdown the Greenpeace website."

"The government has dropped this bill into the Senate on the eve of an
election with virtually no explanation."

"This is just another example of the government's cavalier attitude to
freedom of expression in this country."

Damien Lawson

Office of Greens Senator Kerry Nettle
Tel: 02 9690 2038 Fax: 9690 2041
www.kerrynettle.org.au