National Censorship Plan Offensive, Says Aussie Shadow Minister

downundarob writes "Senator Nick Minchin, the Australian Shadow Minister for broadband, communications and the digital economy, has written (or more likely a staffer has written) this interesting article on the Australian Federal Government's continued zeal to enforce ISP-level filtering in Australia. In the article he posits that 'Underlying the Rudd Government's plan to screen the internet is an offensive message: that parents cannot be trusted to mind their children online.' Meanwhile, we wait for filtering trials to start, trials that have been delayed and which have next-to-no support among the industry. Telstra BigPond — Australia's largest ISP — has refused to take part, comparing internet filtering to 'like trying to boil the ocean.' The third largest, iiNet, is prepared to participate to highlight flaws."

So...

[techno-vampire]

So what he's saying is, this plan to censor the Internet is so offensive that it should be censored, right?

Shadow Minister

[Nyeerrmm]

As an American, I must say, we need to take a look at this nomenclature: Shadow Minister sounds so much cooler than Senate Minority Leader or the like.

It helps when the guy has an ounce of sense too...

He's right!

[Veggiesama]

This national censorship plan is so offensive that no one should ever hear about it again!

I propose that we censor it! Think of the children!

Shadow Government

[xrayspx]

When your own Shadow Government thinks you've gone Too Far, perhaps you've fucking gone too far.

Re:Shadow Minister

[martin-boundary]

No, logically, the prime minister has to be a Vorlon.

Re:Shadow Minister

[Mathinker]

Simple, it's like in Linux, the Shadow Minister is the secret minister with the real power behind the publicly-readable Prime Minister.

Re:Shadow Government

[xrayspx]

I'm sorry to do it, but, yeah, *whoosh*.

I get that this guy isn't really a secret operative in some alien-human hybrid black-oil conspiracy. But the title of "Shadow Minister" does still imply such to those of us who watched a certain popular TV (TeleVision) show known as the X-Files in the 1990's.

It's OK though, because as we all know, jokes have been scientifically proven to be much funnier when they're fully explained, so for that I thank you :-)

Re:So...

[jasontheking]

they sell frozen peas

Boil the ocean?

[Yvan256]

Telstra BigPond - Australia's largest ISP - has refused to take part, comparing internet filtering to 'like trying to boil the ocean.'

So? Seems pretty obvious to me. Just ask Sun to build the internet filters.

Re:So...

[Anonymous Coward]

they sell frozen toasters?