Helen Coonan (NSW, Liberal Party, Minister for Communications, Information Technology and the Arts) Share this | Hansard source

Thank you, Mr President. What in fact happened has to do with the fact that software to create a new administrator password is available to people generally, such as people who have forgotten their passwords, and the bypassing on this occasion occurred through the setting aside of a password through the administrator function. This underscores that it is important that parents are very careful in setting up their Windows administrator function properly and that they regularly monitor the use of their computer to ensure that the settings they have determined have not been compromised by changes to the password. This is a matter that is being very closely investigated by Microsoft and it remains the fact that independent testing has indicated that these filters are sound and that they have not been compromised. This is a bit like giving a very young person the keys to a car. You would not do that; you would not give a young child keys to a car, and as a parent you certainly would not give them your password. It is important that those listening to this particular broadcast recognise that in those circumstances it is not the filters that are the problem. The government and the filter vendors are working very closely with Microsoft.

This is a very significant package—$189 million to provide the most comprehensive set of arrangements to assist Australian families in keeping their children safe online. The filters are only part of the package. It also contains extensive education and awareness training for families and schools. It contains another $43½ million for the Australian Federal Police to train in the order of another 100 police officers. It provides another $11 million for an outreach function for the regulator to go into schools and to community groups to help families and, most particularly, young people in dealing with issues on social networking sites such as cyber bullying and, of course, stalking, which is every parent’s nightmare.

It is a great shame that the Labor Party, having apparently endorsed this package, simply misunderstands it. It does not know that this completely supersedes anything that Labor has said on this, because the government has already announced that it will be providing a filter at ISP level so that parents have a choice. The Labor Party should stand condemned for criticising such an important program. (Time expired)