Stephen Conroy (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to Senator Coonan, the Minister for Communications, Information Technology and the Arts. Is the minister aware that on 24 August, just four days after the government’s $84 million NetAlert ISP filters were released, it was reported that a 16-year-old schoolboy had bypassed one of the filters in a little over 30 minutes? Isn’t the government wasting $84 million of taxpayers’ money on a program, as well as a further $22 million on advertising, when the filters could not stop a 16-year-old schoolboy from accessing inappropriate material? Isn’t this why we need the extra protection of ISP filtering provided for under Labor’s policy, which will ensure the offensive material does not enter Australian homes?

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

Thank you to Senator Conroy for the question. As is symptomatic and systematic with Senator Conroy’s questions in the Senate relating to any matter in his shadow portfolio, he just simply gets it wrong. It is absolutely incorrect that the NetAlert filters have been compromised.

Stephen Conroy (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I said ‘bypassed’.

Alan Ferguson (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order, Senator Conroy!

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

It is absolutely incorrect. They have in fact been tested by an independent laboratory with the particular young person and his parents so that his claim could be tested. I can say unequivocally that the filters have not been directly compromised.

Stephen Conroy (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

No, they were bypassed.

Alan Ferguson (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Conroy, you have asked the question. Listen to the answer.

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

Stephen Conroy (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a supplementary question. Didn’t the minister promise Australian parents that they would get the technology and support they needed to protect their children online? Hasn’t the minister totally failed to protect Australian families by stubbornly refusing to adopt Labor’s superior ISP filtering policy? Why won’t she listen to her own backbenchers, such as Senator Guy Barnett, and just do it?

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

Senator Conroy has not yet grasped that we are doing it. There is an ISP-level filtering option as well as a PC based filter option. Senator Conroy can fulminate all he likes. What he must get his head around is the fact that Labor, as usual, just window-dresses. The Howard government has researched—

Stephen Conroy (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thirty minutes!

Alan Ferguson (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! Senator Conroy, I have been very patient with you. I ask you to come to order and let the minister complete her answer.

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

What I was in the course of saying is that the Labor Party will stand condemned for not protecting Australian families and for having some half-baked proposal when the government has a comprehensive arrangement that addresses the very best of technology and the very best of education. It is a fully funded and comprehensive safety initiative that puts Australian families first. The Labor Party has been comprehensively trumped by this whole program for safety on the internet. This is the most comprehensive program in the developed world. Labor might not like it but it should get on board in the interests of Australian families. (Time expired)