Dana Wortley (SA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

My question is to Senator Coonan, Minister for Communications, Information Technology and the Arts. I refer the minister to the investigation by the Australian Communications and Media Authority into a disturbing incident on the Big Brother program in July that was streamed live over the internet. Can the minister confirm that ACMA found that there is a loophole in the current law and that material streamed live over the internet is not regulated? Does the minister recall stating that legislation would be introduced at the earliest opportunity to ensure new internet services would be subject to the same content restrictions that apply to television? Can the minister explain to Australian families concerned about offensive internet content why this legislation has still not been introduced into the parliament? Will the minister guarantee that the legislation will be in place before the new series of Big Brother starts early in 2007?