One of the biggest concerns over a mandatory ISP level internet filter in Australia is that once applied and operational, the infrastructure is then in place for future governments to filter whatever they choose.

Naturally the man behind Australia’s proposed internet filter, Stephen Conroy, has done his best to assure people that this won’t happen under his government. He’s even gone so far as to guarantee it.


What Conroy doesn’t guarantee however is that future government’s wont hijack the filter for their own political agendas.

Now of course I don’t for a second expect Conroy to guarantee any and all future Australian government will leave the filter alone with any credibility. Conroy’s got as much control over future Australian government as the rest of us.

What he has guaranteed though is that the Rudd Labor government wouldn’t extend the scope of the internet filter to suit their own censorship needs.

So just how credible and trustworthy is Senator Conroy when it comes to non-censorship guarantees?

Recently Stephen Conroy did a little bit of television debate censoring of his own.

Yesterday morning Channel 7′s Sunrise program ran a short interview with Stephen Conroy over the proposed internet filter issue. Conroy appeared alone and was mostly unchallenged by the hosts of Sunrise.

Initially Conroy was set to appear on Sunrise with the vice-chair of the Electronic Frontiers Association, Geordie Guy. Guy was asked by Sunrise to appear on the show and debate the internet filter with Senator Conroy.

After agreeing to appear on the show and waiting for a confirmation call back from Sunrise, on the afternoon of the 13th May (the afternoon before the interview went live), Guy received a call from Sunrise advising him he wouldn’t be appearing on the show.

Stephen Conroy had contacted Sunrise and requested he appear on the Sunrise segment alone. Presumably this demand came with a ‘or else I’m not coming on your show’ clause.

Subsequently Conroy got his way and appeared in the Sunrise interview on his own.

Electronic Frontiers Australia are hardly new to the internet censorship game and would have no doubt put up a good argument against Conroy, on live television no less. Undoubtedly this is the reason Conroy requested to appear alone.

It’s one thing to take on technologically clueless people on pre-recorded television shows, and entirely another to risk being made to look like a fool on national live television by someone who knows what they’re talking about.

I can see Conroy’s PR department advising him appearing on Sunrise to debate with an EFA member as ‘probably not a good idea…’

So why did Channel 7 so readily and quietly cave into Senator Conroy’s censorship demands?

Earlier this year it was revealed that Senator Conroy had attended meeting with Channel 7 boss Kerry Stokes. Following the meeting the pair had gone skiing in Vail, Colorado, indicating that whatever was discussed in the meeting had gone well.

When queried about the meeting and previously secret skiing outing both Stokes and Conroy ‘refused to say what was discussed‘.

A month later however Conroy announced a $250 million no strings attached gift to Australia’s free to air television networks. Amongst them Channel 7.

Now I don’t know about you but I’d feel pretty obliged to anyone throwing me a free $250 million dollars. No doubt this went a long way in Channel 7 obliging when Conroy demanded he appear on Sunrise alone and unchallenged.

Ladies and Gentlemen forget censorship with internet filters, it’s already here. By stifling the public debate and choosing who he debates against Conroy is already demonstrating that he’s completely in support of selective censorship.

How seriously does Conroy think Australians are going to take his no censorship on the internet filter guarantees?

Senator Conroy was recently appointed to a UN led broadband internet taskforce. If he encounters any criticism I wonder if he’ll request his critics to be ordered absent when the taskforce convenes?

1. Stephen Conroy admits internet filter is useless
2. The future of Australian internet under Stephen Conroy
3. Stephen Conroy shows off his internet illiteracy
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