Comments on: Crikey: Outclassed Conroy hides in his bedroom

By: Stilgherrian

Stilgherrian — Sun, 22 Mar 2009 05:31:43 +0000

@Fitzroyalty: I agree that this may well be the first example of the hyperconnected mob making a difference in Australian politics. However, in the marble halls of Parliament House, Canberra, they still think it's all irrelevant chattering without substance. I've heard that Conroy's advisers think those opposing the filter are irrelevant because, while there may be plenty of sound and fury online, they don't gather in vast numbers on the street. They'll imagine that reports of fewer than 200 people at yesterday's rally in Canberra indicate weakness. They are wrong. What they forget is that the aim is to effect change, not gather for a rally. What they forget is that politics is about making connections and organising thought. They can't do that without gathering in one place and having a central organisation because they don't know any other way to proceed. They will learn. @Andy: The budget of the Rudd government's Cyber Safety program is $125M-odd, of which $44M-odd is for the filter program. This may well change in the federal budget in May. That's only two months away, and a lot can happen between now and then.

By: Andy

Andy — Sat, 21 Mar 2009 06:24:45 +0000

“How do we empower… law enforcement agencies…?”

Well, I believe Stephen Conroy’s got around $150 million he’s spending on a list of websites. I imagine a large chunk of that (I assume there’s some left) would do something to help out the agencies that could actually do something useful with it. Something effective. Something the electorate might actually support.

But will Steven FIELDING support giving the money to law enforcement instead of building a Nanny Wall?

By: Fitzroyalty

Fitzroyalty — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 00:35:28 +0000

This may be the first example of what all governments will fear and and have to content with in future — the collective fury of the electorate that is aggregated and syndicated into a collective whole that promotes the best ideas and analysis to counter government stupidity. Together we are better and smarter than any government and they should fear us — we do control the conversation now. Our progress towards near real time consensus on policy issues like this could fundamentally fracture and reconfigure politics and democracy. Our consensus policy is to trash the filter. Conroy’s job as our appointed bureaucrat in charge of this area is to implement our policy. He can sulk behind closed doors (has any minister ever had a lower public profile?) but we’ll soon show him the door.

By: Stilgherrian

Stilgherrian — Sun, 22 Feb 2009 20:25:49 +0000

@Bourkie: I suspect Conroy's waiting for some Good News in there somewhere. The two big-ticket items on his agenda, the National Broadband Network and the Cyber-Safety program's filter-the-internet plan are both way behind schedule and mired in controversy. The digital TV switchover is way late too -- though that's not entirely his fault. His office is now squirting out feel-good media releases about Victorian bushfire relief and technology for the disabled and helping sick children. But "Conroy as the Nice Guy" doesn't seem like an authentic representation, eh? As I say, he should be bloody thankful that the attention is on the Opposition at the moment. That can't last forever.

By: Bourkie

Bourkie — Sun, 22 Feb 2009 15:26:59 +0000

The results of the trials wont be released for several months… I can’t see Conroy cutting his hibernation short before then.