Crossbenchers band together on data retention concern
Media Statement
Greens spokesperson for Communications
Senator for WA Scott Ludlam
October 20, 2014
 

The Australian Greens, the Liberal Democratic Party and Senator Nick Xenophon have teamed up to hold an event in Parliament House during the next Senate sitting week to step up the campaign against the Government’s proposed mandatory data retention legislation.

Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull could become the saviour rather than the slayer of community television by adopting a spectrum efficiency approach Greens Senator Lee Rhiannon said today.

 "Minister Turnbull has been widely criticised for his latest communications plan that puts the interests of media chiefs before that of community television viewers," Senator Rhiannon said.

On February 11, 2014: around the globe more than 5200 websites, with audiences ranging from sub-niche to hundreds of millions, were blacked out. Our cause is deadly serious: government surveillance overkill that compromises privacy, the rule of law, journalism and democracy itself. It was the day we fought back.

Vast swathes of Western Australia will miss out on a world-class, fast broadband service under the Abbott Government, a senate inquiry will hear today.

Greens communications spokesperson Senator Scott Ludlam said people across the state would be stranded on the obsolete copper telephone network under the current plan advanced by Tony Abbott and Malcolm Turnbull.

"Farmers, regional architects, designers and software developers in WA could have been conducting business with people across the world with fast broadband," he said.

NOTICE OF MOTION
Senator Ludlam

I give notice that on the next day of sitting I shall move that the Senate:

Notes:

1. The ABC is accountable to its Charter, its Board and the people of Australia;

2. Editors and journalists, not politicians, should make editorial decisions in a democracy that values a free press;

3. 80% of Australians surveyed believe the ABC is balanced and even-handed when reporting news and current affairs;

Senator Ludlam asked the Minister for Communications, upon notice, on 11/06/2013

To ask the Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy-With regard to the Special Broadcasting Service (SBS) Community Advisory Committee (CAC) established under section 50 of the SBS Act, which is to be appointed by, but independent of, the SBS Board:

(1) Who currently sits on the CAC.

(2) How is the CAC contactable:
(a) by email; and
(b) by post.

(3) Is the SBS Board able to appoint its own members to the CAC.