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Electronic Frontiers Australia (EFA) today welcomed an announcement by Shadow Treasurer Joe Hockey that the coalition will oppose any move to legislate mandatory internet censorship in Australia. On Thursday’s Hack program on Triple J radio, Mr Hockey stated that “we believe the internet filter will not work and we believe it’s flawed policy.”

“We applaud Mr Hockey’s announcement that the Liberal Party will vote against Labor’s filter,” said EFA Chair Colin Jacobs. “The Opposition are very welcome among the ranks of those many organisations and individuals that see the filter as a policy failure.”

A mandatory censorship scheme remains Government policy. However, with The Greens long on record as opposing the internet censorship scheme, Mr Hockey’s announcement means that Labor’s legislation is effectively dead on arrival in the Senate.

“We call on Minister Conroy and the Gillard Government to now admit the mandatory filter policy is dead, and to move on to a debate more grounded in reality,” said Jacobs. “The government must now listen to the experts, and get back to working on giving Australians access to better and faster broadband.”

- Ends -

Below is:

- Background information
- Contact details for media

Background:

* Coalition vows to block ‘flawed’ internet filter
- http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/08/05/2974827.htm?section=justin

* Electronic Frontiers Australia
- http://www.efa.org.au/

* EFA’s Open Internet campaign
- http://openinternet.com.au/

About EFA:

Electronic Frontiers Australia Inc. (EFA) is a non-profit national organisation representing Internet users concerned with on-line rights and freedoms. EFA was established in 1994, is independent of government and commerce, and is funded by membership subscriptions and donations from individuals and organisations with an altruistic interest in promoting online civil liberties.

Media Contacts:

Mr Colin Jacobs
EFA Chair
Phone: 0402 631 955
Email: cjacobs@efa.org.au

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