Senate debates

Thursday, 8 February 2007

Questions without Notice

Internet Pornography

2:50 pm

Photo of Helen PolleyHelen Polley (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party) Share this | | Hansard source

My question is to Senator Coonan, Minister for Communications, Information Technology and the Arts. Is the minister aware of a recently released book, Sex Lives of Australian Teenagers, that states that 65 per cent of boys and 50 per cent of girls have seen internet pornography by the age of 12? Is the minister aware that it is now nearly eight months since the government announced that it would give away filters to families to protect children from internet pornography? Can the minister now confirm that not one Australian family has received access to an internet filter under her proposal?

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

Thank you to Senator Polley for her question. I think it is fair to say that it is a very difficult issue and I thank the senator for raising it in the chamber today, particularly because it is a day when question time is broadcast around Australia and we are able to reach many parents and carers. It is a very important issue. I know that everyone in this chamber supports me and supports our government when I say that child pornography is an unmitigated evil, and I would hope that there would be absolutely no argument about that. This is an issue that I would hope is above politics, and I put on record the support of my colleagues from all sides in working to stop the sexual trade and trafficking of children.

The scheme announced by this government to create the National Filter Scheme at a cost of $93.3 million over three years to provide free PC-based filters or a subsidised filtered internet service for Australian families and funding to allow every public library in Australia to set up child-safe internet terminals will be operational this year. It certainly is a priority within my portfolio. A comprehensive national community education campaign will be undertaken to raise awareness of the National Filter Scheme and provide detailed information for parents about how they can access free filters and general internet safety information.

Photo of Kim CarrKim Carr (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Industry) Share this | | Hansard source

Senator Carr interjecting

Photo of Paul CalvertPaul Calvert (President) Share this | | Hansard source

Senator Carr, come to order!

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

It is important that everyone in this chamber supports the efforts to get this filter organised, and that is exactly what is happening. I think it is quite appalling that anyone would actually suggest that this government has not taken efforts to ensure that this very pernicious thing is addressed. Through the online content scheme, which the government established in 2000, any Australian can make a complaint about material, and I certainly urge Senator Polley to make complaints about any offensive material of which she is aware on the internet. The complaint is then investigated as a priority by the Australian Communications and Media Authority, the online body. If it is found to be a breach of classification standards administered by the Attorney-General, the image can be taken down immediately or the host faces significant penalty sanctions.

In addition, if the regulator considers that the content is sufficiently serious it must also notify the Australian police force. In relation to prohibited content hosted outside Australia, which is the case with certain websites like YouTube and MySpace, the regulator, ACMA, must notify the filter vendor so they can add it to their list of sites to be blocked. There are a number of measures that I do not have time to go into, but this government is serious that this is incredibly important and we are making serious efforts and putting a great deal of money towards addressing this problem in an emerging and difficult area.

Photo of Helen PolleyHelen Polley (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party) Share this | | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a supplementary question. Thank you, Minister, for attempting to answer the question, but the question was how many families have actually benefited from the policy announcement over eight months ago? Hasn’t the minister’s policy of promoting end-user internet filters failed to protect children from dangerous and disturbing internet pornography? Why hasn’t the government done all it can to protect Australian children from exposure to harmful internet content? Does the minister now admit that the government must adopt Labor’s policy and require internet service providers to block access to this repugnant material? Minister, can you confirm how many families have actually accessed your program.

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

Senator Polley obviously does not have a clue what she is talking about. Labor has promoted a clean feed system and the latest report on clean feed, which is the British system, the report to which Senator Polley refers, says that clean feed—

Photo of Kim CarrKim Carr (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Industry) Share this | | Hansard source

Senator Carr interjecting

Photo of Paul CalvertPaul Calvert (President) Share this | | Hansard source

Senator Carr, I am warning you. I have called you to order that many times today I have lost count. Once more and I will name you.

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

The alternative policy that Labor has talked about, clean feed, does not provide any greater assistance in the matter of stopping internet pornography. A recent report says that it is about 40 per cent ineffective. The Labor Party has absolutely no idea—

Photo of Chris EvansChris Evans (WA, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | | Hansard source

Mr President, I raise a point of order going to relevance. On three occasions, both in the original and supplementary question, the minister has been asked to tell the Senate how many Australian families have received access to an internet filter under her proposals. We have asked; Senator Polley deserves an answer to the question. If it is zero, why don’t you tell us?

Photo of Paul CalvertPaul Calvert (President) Share this | | Hansard source

Minister, you have 14 seconds to complete your answer, and I remind you of the question.

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

The government is the only party that has seriously addressed the pernicious effects of pornography and we have a $116 million program under development to do that.