Absence

Hi just a note to say that due to the illness of a family member I have been unable to post to his page - sorry for the interruption and any inconvenience. I hope to be able to post again soon and thank you for your understanding.

GetUp are increasing the pressure on the Australian Government in an attempt to prevent the introduction of a widespread censorship program - from their latest email:

A decision on the Government's internet censorship filter could be just weeks away. It's crunch time for our campaign.

Live trials are nearly complete on the filter technology which will allow the government of the day to add any 'unwanted' site to a secret blacklist. This isn't China, Saudi Arabia or Iran - we could see a mandatory filter of all internet traffic right here in Australia as early as this year.

The Government could yet put the internet filter where it belongs: in the bin. But that will only happen if politicians feel the heat in their home electorates.

At this crucial time, can you contact your local MP about internet censorship?

Yes - I will request a meeting
Yes - I will send a message

103,564 Australians. That's how many of us have fought together to uphold our democratic principles.

Now let's make sure our politicians see how passionate (and how many) we are.

Picture the scene in your local politician's electorate office. The fax machine is running out of paper - it has a pile of messages every morning. Staffers have received dozens of meeting requests and the telephone message-bank is full. Voters have made it clear: draconian and unaccountable internet censorship is unacceptable in Australia.

Can you make it happen before politicians return Canberra in a fortnight?

Yes - I will request a meeting
Yes - I will send a message

Since we started this campaign in May, it has been revealed that the Government's secret blacklist includes everything from euthanasia and abortion sites to local dentists and tuckshops. It's easy to see how this filter would be open to abuse. We all want our children to be safe online, but the proposed internet filter will miss the vast majority of unwanted content while limiting our online freedoms and holding back the digital economy.

Now is the time to put this internet censorship plan to rest. Thanks for being part of the campaign.

In hope,
The GetUp team.

PS - A decision on the Government's plan to censor the internet may be only weeks away. Fax your local representative today or request a meeting with them to stop internet censorship and protect our democratic values.

Sal