Australians need fast, reliable and affordable broadband services – and the Coalition will take real action to deliver them over an affordable high-speed broadband network using the best mix of optical fibre, HFC, wireless, DSL and satellite. 

The Coalition’s plan will deliver uniform nationwide availability of high speed broadband. 

This morning I met with Clint Heinze, a local resident employed senior research scientist with the Commonwealth Department of Defence. Clint volunteers his time for approximately one hour per week at Manchester Primary School and Maroondah Secondary College under the CSIRO’s Scientists in Schools program. The program is chaired by the former Chief Scientist of the Australian Government, Dr Jim Peacock, and is aimed to encourage and further the study of science among Australian students.

Today’s humiliating backdown by Stephen Conroy in relation to his mandatory ISP filtering plan vindicates the Coalition’s concerns about the complex and problematic nature of Labor’s proposal.

It took more than two years for the Minister to even produce a plan and release results of a ‘filtering trial’. Since then the Minister has refused to conduct an independent audit of the trial results and has failed to produce any legislation to implement his proposal, despite pledging to do so months ago.

We welcome moves put forward by industry to voluntarily take steps to block child abuse websites.

In relation to online safety, all Senator Conroy has achieved in nearly three years is his cancellation of the Howard Government’s program to protect Australian families online.

JOINT RELEASE WITH SENATOR NIGEL SCULLION

SHADOW MINISTER FOR INDIGENOUS AFFAIRS

DEPUTY LEADER OF THE NATIONALS

COUNTRY LIBERALS SENATOR FOR THE NORTHERN TERRITORY

The Coalition welcomes today’s announcement of a review into the Government’s investment in the Indigenous broadcasting and media sector.