The Inquisitr » australia

From The Geniuses Behind Net Censorship Comes “The Panic Button”

Duncan Riley — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 02:03:39 +0000

Some of the strongest advocates for internet censorship in Australia are now pushing a new idea to save kiddies from the dangers that apparently lurk behind every website: a “panic button.”

According to Fairfax Media, the panic button “would be a recognizable icon that children can relate to (such as a cartoon dolphin)” and if kids encounter “serious trouble online, pushing the button could connect them instantly to police or child protection groups.”

According to Hetty “there’s a pedophile behind every website” Johnson, “Triple-0 is the universal number for when the proverbial hits the fan, but what do you do online? When the proverbial hits the fan, you hit the panic button.”

Yes, because kiddies should contact the police or similar support groups when they feel threatened online, vs well…let me see, what else could they do instead….mmmm, that’s a hard one….oh, that’s right, vs TURNING OFF THE COMPUTER.

Yes, because if you’re being cyber-raped you should keep your rapist on the screen while engaging with Aunty Hetty’s dolphin button.

But because two nut jobs is never enough, Bernadette “censor everything” McMenamin added her knowledge of statistics to create epic lulz in the Fairfax article, when she claimed that the panic button was needed because (and this is a direct quote) “one in four children had been sexually harassed over the internet but only 3 per cent of children would ever tell anyone about sexual abuse.”

If you’re wondering how you’ve missed news that an epidemic of online sexual harassment of children is taking place, you haven’t, because the figures she quotes have NO basis in fact.

The one in four figure relates to “unwanted exposure to some kind of image of naked people or people having sex in the last year,” not sexual harassment. Depending on the study, the figure for sexual harassment is around one in 15-17.

Any figure above zero is a bad figure, but likewise the ongoing reliance by these people on the nanny state vs teaching kids to switch off, or even better, encouraging parents to supervise their children, continues to belittle their otherwise reasonable overall cause: the protection of children.

Pics: Amorous clock tower couple in Sydney intrigues everyone

Kim LaCapria — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 19:11:52 +0000

An adventurous couple who got it on, naked, at the top of a Sydney clock tower are now internationally famous following widespread circulation of cell phone photos and videos of the brazen act.

The unidentified pair engaged in a risky tryst at around 3:30 pm local time atop the tower, drawing a crowd of giggling on-lookers. Witnesses say the couple was aware they were being watched, but it didn’t put them off shagging in broad daylight. The iconic building houses student accommodation, but management at UniLodge insists the tower is inaccessible to residents:

Ravi Krishna, assistant manager of UniLodge, said: “To be honest, I’m very surprised by these pictures.

“Students can access the rooftop with a swipe card but it’s impossible to get to the tower.

“Maintenance staff only ever go there if there is a problem with the clock and that hasn’t happened for a few months.

“I guess they’re students and they probably can find a way to do things as they finished exams on Friday and had a party to celebrate but we certainly haven’t heard anything about it.”

News outlets around the world are appealing to the now-famous pair to come forward, but so far the clock tower couple are keeping quiet.

Wire: Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority Launches New Website

Duncan Riley — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 09:11:34 +0000

Canberra, Australia (Inquisitr Wire): The Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority’s (ASADA) new website, which features an online tool to help athletes check medications, has been launched by the Minister for Sport Kate Ellis.

“Australia has an international reputation of taking a tough stance against performance enhancing drugs in sport. This website is another way we’re promoting that message and educating Australian sportspeople,” Ms Ellis said.

The new online resources will help Australian athletes, doctors, coaches and support personnel to anonymously and immediately find out if their medications and substances are permitted or prohibited in sport.

These resources will give Australian athletes, and international athletes visiting Australia, the means to feel confident about what they put into their bodies.

“We know that understanding what is and isn’t allowed can be confusing for some athletes and the people who advise them. This is a way we’re educating and informing sportspeople so that they can make well-informed decisions,” Ms Ellis said.

“In the run up to major international sporting events like the Winter Olympics and Commonwealth Games, it’s the perfect time to talk about the importance of staying informed about doping.”

The latest survey of athletes, support personnel and national sporting organisations, showed that the ASADA website is the most popular way to receive anti-doping information and 77% favoured the Internet for checking drug information.

Ms Ellis said that ASADA had listened to athletes and the sporting industry who wanted a simpler, easier and more accessible way to get reliable anti-doping information.

“The new-look website caters for our younger tech-savvy athletes who are at an age where getting the anti-doping message is important,” Ms Ellis said.

“ASADA’s investment in new technology shows its commitment to meeting the changing needs of athletes and the sporting industry now and into the future.”

The new website and online medication checking tool is at www.asada.gov.au

Telstra Sends Epic FU To NBN, Annouces Switch On For 100mbs FTN

Duncan Riley — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 08:39:19 +0000

Australia’s biggest telco, and previous monopoly player has finally announced that they will switch on their 100mbps FTN network, a huge FU to the Australian Governments National Broadband Network.

The Fibre to Node Network, which was rolled out in Melbourne in 2008 but delayed to customers following the Australian Government’s announcement of a National Broadband Network (NBIN) is believed to pass over 1 million homes in the Melbourne metropolitan area.

As part of the role out, Telstra unveiled a PVR box to compliment its link in to Foxtel.

It’s not clear yet as to how much Melbourne people will pay to connect at 100mbps, but given previous Telstra pricing, it wont come cheap. Still, 100mbps…god it’s tempting.

Britney Vows Never To Return To Australia. In Other News, Millions of Aussies Now Believe In God

Duncan Riley — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 06:02:27 +0000

After rightfully being called out by irate fans who weren’t happy at paying hundreds of dollars to see Britney Spears lip sync, Britney has vowed never to return to Australia.

The Britney Australia drama (is drama the right word, given her entire life is a drama) started a couple of weeks back when the occasionally mental mother of two appeared at the Burswood Dome in Perth in “the round,” a format where fans are seated around a central stage vs being in front of the stage looking down on a central point.

Fans noted that Britney rarely turned around during her performance, and to make matters worse the big screens at the event never showed images of her on the stage. I’ve been to the Burswood Dome numerous times, and it’s a reasonably large venue (say approx 20,000 people in that setup.) It would be difficult to see Britney from the cheap seats at the best of times, let alone if she had her back to her for most of the “concert.”

Britney’s tour though hasn’t improved from there, with numerous reports in the Australian media of fans leaving her events early, and of tickets flooding eBay at way below the ticketed price as news spread that she just wasn’t worth seeing. According to some reports, Britney has also been booed and jeered while leaving her hotels…showing that Australians are never shy in expressing correct and fair opinions.

The Chicago Sun Times now claims that Britney Spears has told her team, and anyone else who will listen — she will never again perform for an Aussie audience. According to an insider, she “is very happy to be getting out of that country.”

Let me say as an Australian in my finest imitation of a Britney southern accent “don’t ya ever come back now, ya’ here.” Trailer trash should stay in trailers, and not be allowed past customs at the airport

Wire: Visiting experts tell Australian business: watch, learn and profit from the dragon’s rise

Duncan Riley — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 03:40:40 +0000

Melbourne (Inquisitr Wire): Internationally renowned China economics commentator Arthur Kroeber and Austrade’s Regional Director for North East Asia Laurie Smith have outlined how a post-GFC China will offer a wide range of new opportunities for Australian trade and investment.

Despite the impact of the global financial crisis, Chinese growth is predicted to remain bullish at 8.5% in 2009, with Australia’s merchandise exports jumping in lockstep by 45% to reach over A$39 billion in 2008-09.

Chinese foreign direct investment in 2008 was A$12.5 billion, with the Foreign Investment Review Board approving an additional A$38 billion worth of investment from China since November 2007.

Head of the Beijing-based economic consultancy GaveKal Dragonomics, Mr Kroeber said that China’s strength in the face of the GFC was as much a story of intensifying diversification as it was resilient growth.

“The Global Financial Crisis has accelerated the impetus for change, with different regions within China responding in different ways, Mr Kroeber said.

“Sustained recovery now depends on the strength of property and infrastructure investment in the hinterland, and on the government’s ability to increase the efficiency of the financial system and break down local protectionism that impedes domestic trade.

“Rebalancing within China also means government policy is now aimed at strengthening the role of consumer spending, increasing energy efficiency and reducing pollution.

“Rapid economic growth has also increased the capacity for outward investment by Chinese firms, especially the 150 large state enterprises controlling the ‘commanding heights’ of the Chinese economy.

“China’s outward direct investments tripled to US$55 billion in 2008 and are expected to rise further in coming years with Chinese outward investment set to play a constructive ongoing role in fostering global economic growth,” he said.

Austrade’s Regional Director for North East Asia Laurie Smith said: “A recent Goldman Sachs report predicts that 70 per cent of China will be middle class by 2020. This fact, and widespread development throughout the Chinese economy means Australian businesses will be presented with a diverse range of new opportunities.”

“Staying informed of rapid change and taking advantage of shifts in the business environment will be the key to profiting from China’s growth,” Mr Smith said.

“Austrade is continually refining our services to help Australian companies capture trade and investment opportunities within a rapidly changing economic landscape.

“We have sharpened our focus on areas such as energy and minerals, green building and clean energy, agribusiness, niche technologies, financial services, logistics, business and professional services.

“For example, Austrade recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Changsha City to encourage Australian capability in the city’s redevelopment, with opportunities in green building and major infrastructure projects connecting provincial capitals to the coast

“The Changsha government will invest billions in the redevelopment, a pilot project under the Chinese Government’s strategy to build further sustainable cities across the country.

“It’s just one example of change already underway that savvy Australian companies can benefit from,” Mr Smith said.

Australian Government To Prohibit Infrastructure Competition for National Broadband Network

Duncan Riley — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 03:30:56 +0000

A document tabled by Stephen Conroy, Australian Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy today shows that the Australian Government is considering crippling infrastructure competition in an attempt to make its National Broadband Network (NBN) viable.

The “Assessment of Proposals, National Broadband Network Process” document compiled for the Government’s NBN Expert Panel by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) recommends that parts of the Trade Practices Act, the primary law in Australia regarding competition, be amended to allow for “an express statutory prohibition against overbuild in the roll-out and cut-over period.” That is, that no private provider could lay FTTN cable in Australia that competes with the NBN during the 8-15 years it will take for the NBN to be built.

The report notes that the requirement to prohibit competition is necessary so as to assure that the AU$42 billion NBN is commercially viable. Page 111:

However, if access seekers in metropolitan areas have no other option but to purchase access services from the NBN operator — that is, if there is no possibility that the NBN will be bypassed — averaged access charges may be sustainable.

Ironically perhaps, the report argues that prohibiting infrastructure competition by creating a universal wholesale monopoly of next-generation internet access should be coupled with new regulations to encourage retail competition. Pg 245:

One of the Commonwealth’s objectives for the National Broadband Network (NBN) is that it:
Facilitates competition through open access arrangements that ensure equivalence of price and non-price terms and conditions, and provide scope for access seekers to differentiate their product offerings.

The concept of Government owned infrastructure combined with multiple retail suppliers isn’t unprecedented in Australia, for example in some states consumers have a choice of retail suppliers for water and power. The difference though is simple: the deregulation of those markets occurred with the infrastructure already being owned by the Government, infrastructure that was not already subject to competition.

The formerly Government owned telco Telstra is often labeled the monopoly wholesale provider, and to many homes that remains true. But the telecommunications industry in Australia has been deregulated for years, and already some markets offer competition away from Telstra’s copper to the home network. Anything from Optus Cable through to smaller scale cable rollouts in places like Geelong on Canberra. It’s not just Telstra who is unable to compete with the NBN, it’s anyone with a cable in the ground who wants to upgrade it over the next 10-15 years, on the grounds that forcing everyone onto the NBN is the only way to make it viable.

What the report does overlook though in its consideration of forcing NBN uptake is that it presumes that the only delivery method is a competing FTTN network. As noted many times previously, technology is already starting to turn existing infrastructure into high speed alternatives, such as the next generation of ADSL tech. As much as cutting out competition in FTTN infrastructure may seem harsh, it may be irrelevant in the years ahead as technology bypasses the Australian Government’s attempts to force everyone onto the heavily censored NBN.

Australian Police under fire for verbally abusing, feeding prisoner garbage

Paul Short — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 05:17:36 +0000

Police at a station in the Northern Territory of Australia have come under some much deserved scrutiny recently for verbally abusing a burglary suspect in their custody and feeding him garbage.

The prisoner was the butt of jokes at the station because he was arrested while sleeping at the scene of the place he robbed. Yes, he wasn’t very smart and being teased because of the circumstances of his arrest can be expected. But that’s where the fun should end. Instead…

Security camera footage taken inside the police station shows one officer picking toast and a carton of milk out of a trash can and giving it to the prisoner. The man was also verbally abused by Police, being called a “loser, retard, dickhead, stupid idiot and piece of s**t.”

After enduring the abuse for a time, the prisoner was so distraut that he tried to commit suicide or seriously injure himself by jumping high into the air and landing on his head. One officer allegedly said: “Go ahead, do it.”

Northern Territory Ombudsman, Carolyn Richards was informed of the inappropriate treatment of the prisoner and in her annual report she criticized their behavior. Police then disputed the report, saying she was biased and didn’t consider how provocative the prisoner had been.

According to the NT News, Ombudsman Richards responded to the Police by saying: “Hard as it might be for police officers to deal with provocative and insulting behavior, a trained officer must at all times conduct him/herself professionally and not sink to the standards of those who have no respect for the law.”

Teasing is one thing, but Police feeding someone food taken from the trash and encouraging them to try to kill themselves while in custody is abuse.

Source: NineMSN.com.au

How do you feel about this? Leave your comments below.

Left 4 Dead 2 appeal rejected in Australia, but awesome new trailer leaked

Chris Greenhough — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 20:08:05 +0000

The rough most definitely came with smooth today for Left 4 Dead 2 fans.

We’ll start with the bad news first: if you’re Australian, you won’t be playing the Left 4 Dead 2 Valve wanted you to play. The original build of the game was recently refused classification by the OFLC, the body that grants age ratings to all of Australia’s games and films. An appeal was lodged against the decision, but was shot down today.

Fortunately, Valve saw this coming, and has already prepared a version with less gore and more kittens that does fit within OFLC requirements. Hence, that’s the game Australians will be playing.

And now here’s the good news, in the form of the MOST AWESOME VIDEOGAME CINEMATIC EVAR (NSFW, obviously):

Beautiful (though you can kind of see why the notoriously fussy OFLC wasn’t too keen on this).

[Via Kotaku and Joystiq]

Giant seagull invades Aussie news broadcast

Kim LaCapria — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 18:38:18 +0000

Apparently the Mars-like sandstorms aren’t the only sci-fi plagues walloping Australia- a news broadcast appears to show a giant seagull looming over a background of Melbourne.

PSP Go basically dead already in Australia

Chris Greenhough — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 19:10:44 +0000

The PSP Go’s atrocious start is showing no signs of brightening up. In its first two weeks on sale, retailers in the UK and U.S. both dropped the price of Sony’s new handheld in a bid to actually sell some of the things.

Now, early sales figures have come in from Australia. Yeah, I know Australia is hardly the biggest market for games – they only got the Nintendo 64 last year or something – but said figures are truly grim. According to Aussie paper The Age, the Go sold under 1,000 units in its first full week on sale. I’ll repeat that, in case you misread: under 1,000. In a country of 20 million people. I mean, seriously.

But wait, did The Age get those figures wrong? Michael Ephraim, MD of Sony Australia and New Zealand, thinks the newspaper may be slightly out with its numbers. Sadly, even his figures suck. Says Ephraim:

“[The figure is] not under 1,000 but it’s slightly over 1,000″

Appalling. Of course, it doesn’t help when major stockists like EBGames refuse to carry the console (as has happened in Oz). While the PS3 continues to grow in popularity across the world, the PSP Go already seems dead in the water. Am I being premature?

[The Age, via Kotaku]

Major project to develop sustainable garden for Royal Exhibition Building

Duncan Riley — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 04:31:27 +0000

Melbourne, Australia October 20 (Inquisitr Wire): Museum Victoria is undertaking a major project to transform an unsightly car park at the Royal Exhibition Building, Australia’s first World Heritage listed building, into heritage gardens based on the original nineteenth century design.

The project will restore the western forecourt of the Royal Exhibition Building, which was covered in asphalt in the 1950s. Funded by a $5.3 million grant from the Victorian Government, the project will begin in late October 2009 with completion in February 2011.

An important component of the project is the installation of an extensive water harvesting and storage system, including a 900,000 litre underground water tank, which will ensure a sustainable future for this much-loved Melbourne landmark.

“This project will enhance the Royal Exhibition Building – a unique architectural structure – as well as protect Victoria’s water reserves through an innovative water management system”, said The Hon Tony Robinson, Minister for Consumer Affairs.

Museum Victoria CEO, Dr Patrick Greene said that the project will complete the ‘palace gardens’ setting for the building by transforming a bleak area of tarmac into a grand forecourt that is in keeping with one of Australia’s most significant historic structures.

“In most great cities there is a building that epitomises its spirit and history. In Melbourne, it is undoubtedly the Royal Exhibition Building”, said Greene. “This important project will ensure a sustainable future for this magnificent landmark, and for the Carlton Gardens, preserving them for future generations.”

The project will be in three phases. Beginning in late October, the first phase will involve an archaeological exploration of the site to search for traces of historic garden beds and other original features, conducted in partnership with Godden Mackay Logan (GML) and La Trobe University. Soil, seeds and pollen will be analysed to identify the plants that might have been part of the nineteenth century garden design.

Phase two will include the installation of two water tanks. One tank will store water captured from the extensive roof of the Royal Exhibition Building, and the second will capture surface water run-off from hardstand areas. This will provide a constant water source for the fountains, lakes and irrigation of the Carlton Gardens as well as irrigation for the site’s historic trees, flower beds and newly created palace garden.

In the third phase, archaeological and historical research will be used to restore the 1880 garden landscape and plantings to their original splendour.

Built in 1879 to host the Melbourne International Exhibition in 1880, the Royal Exhibition Building was the first Australian building to be added to the World Heritage List and remains the only World Heritage structure in Victoria. As the nation’s most prestigious building, the Royal Exhibition Building was selected to host the opening of the first Australian Federal Parliament on May 9, 1901 and was the place where the Australian flag was flown for the first time. The building was added to the Australian Government’s National Heritage List in 2004.

Funding for this project was provided from the Victorian Property Fund on the approval of the Minister for Consumer Affairs.

Balloon boy is so five minutes ago, check out train baby

Kim LaCapria — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 15:29:46 +0000

An Australian mother got the shock of her life as her child’s stroller rolled off a platform onto a train track and into the path of an oncoming train.

CCTV caught the dramatic scene as it unfolded. The mother is seen chasing the runaway pram, which is out of her reach. The stroller tumbles open kid end first onto the track and the train appears to drive over it as the mother flails silently.

Thankfully, the child survived, reportedly with just a bump to the head. Nevertheless, it’s an uncomfortable video to watch.

Why you should visit New Zealand before Australia

Duncan Riley — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 10:01:27 +0000

For those who aren’t regular readers of this site, this site is Australian owned. We’re hosted in the United State because Australian hosting is insanely expensive, but so is visiting here as I found out tonight.

Let me say upfront that if you’ve never been to Australia, you should. As a survey pointed out last week (I tried Googling it without success) the survey found that Australians are proud of their own country more than other places, by several points, and roughly 10-20% vs what Americans think of themselves. Whilst being proud of your country may not always be a great thing, I’d say in this instance that it is justified. Think America, with no guns, universal health care, high wages and low unemployment. Yes, you can have all of those combined.

As much as I love my country however, there’s one flaw: it’s expensive. Put aside the drop in the US dollar, and the price of accommodation here, at least outside the odd city is way more expensive than many other places. Maybe not Europe, but everyone expects Europe to be expensive. I’m talking relatively spending on a AUD or USD basis.

I did Seattle and San Francisco in August, and I did 4 1/2 star and 5 star accom on both legs. Both times were cheaper (even given the dollar difference, which was better at the time) vs Australia for even 3 star.

So I’m spending next weekend (Friday night to Monday night) in New Zealand. The flight itself is shorter than flying to Western Australia, a state I spent nearly 10 years in. But the cost of the flight vs when I flew to Western Australia late September is under one half the cost for our family of three. I don’t know what the price of NZ vs AUS is from the US, but I do know that the West Coast to Australia has never been cheaper. If you can get a cheaper fair the saving might balance the rest vs NZ, but I can’t say for sure.

Here’s what I’m doing: for <$500 AUD (about $470 USD) I’ve booked 3 nights accommodation, including two nights in a Hyatt Regency (5 star) and one night in the Quest Rotarua (which are usually about 4 stars but flat like), and car hire. I’d struggle to get a decent sized car in Australia for that money, and the equivalent hotels + car would be closer to AU$1000, if you’re lucky.

There was an article this week in an Australian newspaper about how the tourism industry is doing it tough due to the exchange rate vs the US dollar. Let me say that even when the rate was 60c that Australian hotels were still grossly over priced vs their American equivalents. What I’ve found though is that New Zealand gets that over charging drives tourists away and has priced to fit.

Given the cost, my forthcoming trip to New Zealand will probably not be my last. What does it say when I can go away to overseas for significantly less than a domestic trip under 2 hours to somewhere like Queensland.

Less gory Left 4 Dead 2 cleared for release in Australia

Chris Greenhough — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 23:03:48 +0000

If ever a screenshot could be called prescient …

A few weeks back, Australian censorship body the OFLC (here represented by the chap smacking Australia in the gob) refused to classify Left 4 Dead 2, banning the game from being sold anywhere in the country. In the OFLC’s view, the zombie shooter “contains violence that is high in impact and is therefore unsuitable for persons aged under 18 to play.”

Publisher EA and developer Valve are still in the process of appealing this decision, but if that falls through (a verdict is due on October 22), Valve has a solution: censor the hell out of its game.

Valve’s Gabe Newell has revealed that a heavily edited version of Left 4 Dead 2 has now been submitted, and has passed the OFLC test gaining an MA15+ rating. Says Newell:

“We think Left 4 Dead 2 is a lot of fun. It’s a game for adults. But we’re aware that different countries have different restrictions, and we want to make the choices that make the game the most fun for that country.”

As it turns out, some big cuts have been made in this sanitized version. News.com.au reports that the OFLC found “the game no longer contains depictions of decapitation, dismemberment, wound detail or piles of dead bodies lying about the environment.”

So Left 4 Dead 2 WILL be coming out in Oz now, though it’s likely to be a nicer, less gory version, with more kittens or something. The original build could still make it out, but we won’t know until a decision is made on EA and Valve’s appeal. It’s plain which version Valve want to see released, and Newell was quite clear about this:

“Our goal is not to ship this second version. The goal, of course, is to get the original version through the Board via the appeal process. If that fails, then the edited version is the back-up plan.”

Obviously, the elephant in the room is the OFLC’s inefficient rating system. Australia desperately needs an R18 classification for games, and until that happens, expect this story to be repeated again and again.

[News.com.au, via VG247]

How the Pirate Party could win seats at the next Australian Election

Duncan Riley — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 07:38:25 +0000

The Pirate Party of Australia has been getting its act together of late, with a draft constitution published and a call for office bearers as part of the path towards registration as an official party with the Australian Election Commission (AEC.)

With registration possibly on for later this year or early next year, the party has finally gained some well earned media attention, but not all of it has been positive. (Disclosure at this point, I’m a preliminary member of the party.) Renai LeMay in ZDNet Australia, a fully owned subsidiary of the CBS writes today that the Pirate Party doesn’t stand a chance in hell of getting anyone elected at the 2010 Australian election.

He’s wrong, although in saying that the maths do make it a long shot. That aside though, it’s not impossible either, and without knowing much about those pushing the party forward, presuming their smart enough to understand the system, the odds of getting a Pirate Party member up in the Senate aren’t as long as many might naturally assume.

The following analysis is offered in the context that I’m not an expert on Australia politics, but as someone with some past experience as a previous member of the major Australian political party (four years clean), three times a State and Federal staffer, and regular campaign volunteer (including some senior positions in campaigns) over 12 years of State and Federal elections in three states. I have in my past written submissions for redistributions, and played with more numbers than I care to remember as I crunched data for in one case an electorate the size of Portugal.

The race to 14.3%

The Australian Senate works on a proportional representation that includes use of preferences; that is, even if you vote for candidate A, if he isn’t near the top, his votes get allocated to others. In the House of Representatives the system is clear cut, because under Australian electoral law you have to number every box in order of preference, so you determine the preference. However the Senate is different, because you have the option of voting “above the line” or “below the line.” Below the line the voter allocates preferences, above the line the party or candidate allocates the preferences. Most people vote above the line in the Senate because in some years, and in some states, the ballot paper has been known to exceed over a meter in length.

There are two scenarios going into the next election: a half senate or full senate election. A full senate election would only take place if supply was blocked in the Senate. So far, despite some saber rattling on all sides, this hasn’t happened and is unlikely. In a double dissolution election, the quota reduces to roughly half that of a normal half senate election (senators serve six year terms,) and a double dissolution election would be ideal for getting a Pirate Party candidate up.

Preferences

Lets presume a normal half senate election in 2010 or early 2011 (it must be held by 16 April 2011.) Renai LeMay writes that “If [minor party candidates] Steve Fielding and Nick Xenophon can make it into the Senate, the argument goes, surely anybody can” then goes on to note that “Unfortunately for the Pirate Party, it’s not that easy.”

Actually, it can be if you know how to work the system.

Lets take for example the election of Family First Senator Stephen Fielding for a Victorian Senate seat in the 2004 election. According to the ABC archives, Fielding received a grand total of 56,376 votes, or x0.1317 of one quota, from roughly 2.3 million votes. At the end of the distribution of preferences (count 285), Fielding ended up with 540,012 votes or x1.2615 of a quota, ahead of the Australian Greens who despite initially polling 263,481 votes or x0.6155 of a quota, ended up after preferences with 314,729 votes or x0.7352.

In case you didn’t get those figures: a guy with 56,376 votes got elected over another candidate who received 263,481 votes.

Preference swaps

Renai LeMay is right to one extent: the appeal of doing preference swaps with the Pirate Party will be less appealing at this election until it has proven itself at the ballot box. But likewise I think that underestimates the potential appeal of preferences the Pirate Party will offer.

It probably is a slight misnomer to say that the Pirate Party will appeal primarily to younger voters (after all, I’m 34 and I’m joining) but if the support in Australia follows what has happened in Europe, the voters will skew young. Young voters are a holy grail when it comes to Australian politics, because they’re the hardest to reach, and the least likely to follow traditional two party voting patterns.

The aim of the game isn’t so much about the Pirate Party selling itself to other parties, but what they might think they’d get out of a preference swap. You can rule the Australian Labor Party (ALP) out immediately, given one of the two party platforms at the moment is opposition of the ALP’s Chinese style censorship regime, but looking beyond Labor the party has the potential of swaps with both the Liberal Party and Australian Greens, both who oppose censorship and would be looking for preferences from Pirate Party voters.

The variable here is the type of candidate the Pirate Party puts up. The problem with single issue parties (well, the Pirate Party has two issues in Australia) is outside of those issues you hit resistance because if you’re elected you have to vote one way or the other. The way out is to commit to only support the Government of the day in return for the policies of the party being implemented; that’s actually not an unreasonable stance, and has been done before in the Australian Senate.

Lets presume the candidates can straddle. Then you have an appealing block of votes that might appeal to both the Australian Greens and the Liberal Party (as both the major third party in Australia, and the main second party). I’d actually think that Liberal preferences are a strong possibility, maybe not in every state, but those states where the Liberal Party still believes in small government. Greens I’d think would play anyway because they’d want the votes to get their candidates over the line, and on the fundamental issues of the Pirate Party, they mostly agree.

Add to that any range of independent and small party candidates. There’s not a lot of people in Australia who back the censorship stance of the ALP, so you’d think you could at least somewhere down the chart swap preferences there as well with other minor party candidates.

Then we have a potential Steve Fielding in the making.

Realistically Pirate Party preferences would more likely end up electing a Liberal or Green Senator in most states, but if there’s the strong possibility in even one or two states that the flow could work the opposite way, that’s all the party needs on its first election outing, and to actually get one or two senators up who will fight for the cause.

The path forward

As mentioned, I haven’t been in contact with the people driving the party forward, although I’m here willing and able to help where I can. I should note that despite the links to The Pirate Bay, the Pirate Party isn’t anti-copyright at all…which will surprise some people. Indeed, the party is pro-copyright, to a point. This idea that copyright extends for 70 years post the death of the author is absurd, and the party believes that copyright should expire over a reasonable period. In Europe, that’s 5 years, although the Australian Pirate Party was looking at 11-13 years (I’m not sure if they ended up supporting the longer term though.)

Getting a Senator up is like climbing Everest, but it’s not impossible even the first time out. Renai LeMay generalizes when he say’s it’s impossible, but he should look at the stats before saying that it’s impossible. Raw stats don’t lie, and the Pirate Party in Australia does have a chance, even if it’s a long shot.

If you’d like to join the Pirate Party of Australia, click here.

Left 4 Dead 2 banned in Australia

Chris Greenhough — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 02:55:28 +0000

If you live in Australia and desperately wish to play Left 4 Dead 2, prepare for some bad news.*

The OFLC, the notoriously hard-to-please censorship body that classifies all of Australia’s films and videogames, has given Valve’s shooter the banhammer. Officially, the game has been granted a “Refused Classification” rating, meaning it cannot be sold anywhere in Oz. Publisher EA had this to say in response:

“[We] are still working through the submission process with OFLC and want to explore all opportunities before making any comment.”

Sucks to be Australia then, but maybe this is for the good. After all, Aussies can easily import a copy from other PAL regions, and this news could reignite the debate about how badly Australia needs an R18 classification for games. Because seriously, it does.

* If you live in Australia and desperately wish to boycott Left 4 Dead 2, you’ll now have to find something else to whine about pointlessly on the Internet.

[OFLC, via PALGN]

Epic Win: Australian Government to force wholesale separation of Telstra

Duncan Riley — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 00:45:34 +0000

The Australian Government has announced that it will force the wholesale separation of Telstra, Australia’s former monopoly, and still dominate communications company.

Stephen Conroy, best known outside of Australia for his moves to introduce Chinese style censorship, made the announcement this morning, saying that the reforms will promote greater competition and consumer benefits.

“The Government will require the functional separation of Telstra, unless it decides to voluntarily structurally separate” Conroy told the media. “The Bill will be tabled in the House of Representatives today.”

The decision to force Telstra to split is being made in conjunction with the Government’s moves to roll out a National Broadband Network.

Telstra, until the 1990’s the Government owned monopoly telecommunications provider was privatized as one entity, with Telstra maintaining ownership of the copper telephone network. The ownership of the network has meant that Telstra has maintained an unfair market position as both a retailer of phone services, and the owner of the wholesale network all phone companies must access to offer telephone and internet services to Australian homes and businesses.

The call doesn’t redeem the Government when it comes to censorship, but I know I won’t be the only one who thinks that finally the Australian Government has done something seriously right in the space, something that the last Government should have done years ago.

Australia’s Deputy Prime Minister told in Parliament she has a “shit eating grin”

Duncan Riley — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 07:38:57 +0000

Australia’s Deputy Prime Minister Julia Gillard was told in Parliament Thursday evening by an Opposition front bencher that she has a “shit eating grin.”

Shadow Minister for Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs Tony Abbot made the jibe at Gillard as she left Parliament Thursday following heated debate during Question time over the Australian Government’s bailout program for the Australian building industry.

The program, which the Australian Government claims is an investment in Australian schools, is a AU$14 billion ($12 billion) program that sees existing infrastructure in schools replaced by new, but primarily duplicate infrastructure, or what the Opposition calls the “Julia Gillard Memorial Schools Program.” Each school must also display a sign praising the program on their boundaries (sometimes two signs), advertising that the Australian Electoral Commission has deemed to be “political material” that requires authorization in line with general election material.

Gillard dismissed the comment, telling ABC News that “Tony’s made a remark – he can explain it. [it] Doesn’t particularly concern me. I think I was doing what I normally do in Question Time, which is I spent a bit of time laughing and joking with some of my colleagues.”

Anonymous targets Australian Government over Internet Censorship

Duncan Riley — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 05:38:44 +0000

Anonymous is planning to launch an attack on Australian Government websites to draw attention to Australia’s proposed draconian internet censorship laws.

The DoS attacks are due to begin at 7pm Australian Eastern Time (2am US PDT) Wednesday and will target the websites of The Department of Broadband, Communications & the Digital Economy (DBCDE), Minister for DBCDE Stephen Conroy, and the website of the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA.)

In a message attached to the raid information posted to the “Operation Didgeridie” page on Insurgen.info, those behind the attacks start by noting that “Australia’s internet future is at stake. Kevin Rudd is attempting to execute a plan in which every part of Australia’s internet will be censored; even though you may not care about Australia, the world (i.e. USA and others) will eventually follow suit until free information ceases to exist.”

In a section titled “Decleration of War,” Anonymous writes

On the morning of September the 9th, the Government of Australia, pursuing its course of internet censorship, have shown to us that they have no response nor intend to provide one concerning their plan. The long-known and the long-expected has thus taken place. The forces endeavoring to belittle and undermine the freedom of the internet are now moving towards their final goals. Never before has there been a greater challenge to freedom of information, liberty and civilization. Delay invites great danger. Rapid and united effort by all of the peoples of the world who are determined to remain free will ensure a world victory of the forces of justice and of righteousness over the covert powers of censorship and of oppression. Australia is not alone in this regard: countless governments from across the world can also be exposed as fascists and dictators in this regard. Therefore a state of war between Anonymous and the Australian Government, and between Anonymous and all other governments which find themselves so inclined to impose censorship upon the internet, will be recognized.

I legally can’t say I’m in favor of what Anonymous is doing here, and I won’t be participating in the raid, however there will be many who support any effort to highlight the Australian Government’s attempt to introduce Chinese style censorship in a country that is suppose to be democratic and free.

The means used here are illegal, but likewise so should any attempt to censor free speech in Australia be as well; Anonymous are no more criminals morally than the Rudd Government and Stephen Conroy are, and I wouldn’t be the only person to suggest that Rudd and Conroy are the bigger criminals in this case.

More info on the raid when we have it.