In the News
Further evidence from Internet Service Providers (ISPs) and content providers at the Cyber Safety Committee roundtable in Melbourne today ought to spell the end of Labor’s deeply flawed proposal for mandatory internet filtering, said the Member for Mitchell, and Deputy Chair of the Joint Select Committee on Cyber-Safety, Alex Hawke MP.
“In spite of serious opposition and ongoing concern expressed by virtually every sector, Senator Conroy and the Gillard Government appear bloody minded in their pursuit of mandatory internet filtering,” Mr Hawke said.
“Evidence from parent groups, ISP providers, teacher unions, internet peak bodies, such as the Safer Internet Group and the Internet Industry Association, has reinforced the need for better education of parents, teachers, and children and the need for greater resources for law enforcement such as the AFP.
“All of the evidence from key affected groups before the Committee has been that a filter is too simplistic, will not achieve the objectives the Government is seeking, and will do nothing to prevent illegal and inappropriate online behaviour.
“Senator Conroy should examine the evidence that the committee has heard, in particular that the best way to protect internet users online is to train children and adults to learn to use the filter between their ears.”
Mr Hawke said that today the Cyber Safety Committee has heard that content filtering does not solve problems of identity theft, cyber bullying, cyber stalking, and many of the other concerns of internet use.
“Senator Conroy’s claims that a mandatory internet filter is about child pornography are a complete sham in light of the evidence heard by the Cyber Safety Committee in recent weeks,” Mr Hawke said.
“His comments that people looking for alternative solutions are “opting in” to child pornography are particularly insulting to Australian internet users.
“This highly illegal content does need to be dealt with by strong and adequate law enforcement and effective partnership with industry and parents.
“In contrast to this, the action of the Rudd/Gillard Government has been to dump the free, voluntary NetAlert filtering software of the previous Government, described today as ‘one of those gems of Government policy that worked’, by Mr John Lindsay of Internode and supported as effective by the Internet Industry Association.
“It should also be noted that the Rudd Government cut funding to online enforcement by the AFP in 2008 in preparation for the online filter.”
Mr Hawke said that this week’s announcement that Labor will proceed to introduce legislation for Mandatory Internet Filtering if re-elected serve as a warning to internet users and in particular young people across Australia.
“As the saying goes—‘the road to hell is paved with good intentions’— and the Government in this bloody minded pursuit of a deeply flawed policy will have major ramifications for all internet users with little to no benefit. Good intentions need to be supported by good evidence based policy,” Mr Hawke said.
“Australian internet users need to be aware that if the Gillard Government is re-elected they will pursue mandatory internet filtering regardless of the strong evidence emerging that it will not achieve their own objectives.”
The Leader of the Opposition, Tony Abbott, and the Shadow Minister for Education, Christopher Pyne, joined Alex Hawke to announce the Coalition’s Real Action Plan to Stop Labor’s School Halls Waste.
Under the Coalition’s plan principals will decide on the priorities for each school, not the state bureaucracy. In addition, once the planned construction is complete, schools will retain any remaining money for other education or infrastructure initiatives.
Mr Abbott and Mr Pyne were able to meet members of the local community at Annangrove where the school community had sought a new hall under the BER, but was offered a library, despite already having a library. Annangrove public school is a clear example of the need for taxpayers’ money to be spent wisely.
Growing up in the Hills, the Orange Blossom Festival was something which was always an important occasion on our community’s calendar.
Be it the street parades, the garden competition, the Crestwood Fair, or the other festivals—these events were an important cultural exchange in our local community.
The Orange Blossom Festival was significant to many locals, especially those who had lived in the Hills Shire for a long time and can still recall the open spaces and agricultural areas that covered the entire district.
Each year many local residents volunteered to serve on boards, help to organise events, and spent countless hours ensuring the success of events making up the Orange Blossom Festival.
The name Orange Blossom Festival reflects an ongoing tradition that stretches back some 40- 50 years and reflects the importance of the citrus industry to our past and an ongoing link with our agricultural history.
But the changing the name of the Orange Blossom Festival to ‘Hills Fest’ has led to much disappointment among many residents in the Hills Shire. At best, Hills Fest is underwhelming and it is a name that I believe will take a long time to receive even a moderate amount of recognition or support.
Can you imagine other areas abandoning their identities? For example the Ryde Council dropping the name Granny Smith Festival, held each year in Eastwood in favour of Eastwood Fest?
There should not be a rush away from the names and traditions which are important to many in our community. I fear this name change is more to do with modern marketing-speak than accurately reflecting community sentiment.
Council should reconsider this re-branding decision, recognise the importance of this festival to our past, and retain the name Orange Blossom Festival. It a distinct, unique name that reflects our Shire’s history and tradition.
There is clear disappointment among many residents in the Hills Shire about changing the name of the Orange Blossom Festival, said the Federal Member for Mitchell, Alex Hawke.
“The name Orange Blossom Festival reflects an ongoing tradition that stretches back some 40- 50 years and reflects the importance of the citrus industry to our past. It remains an important part of our identity today and an ongoing link with our agricultural history,” Mr Hawke said.
“Growing up in the Hills, the Orange Blossom Festival was something which was always an important occasion on our local calendar.
“Whether it be the street parades, the garden competition, the Crestwood Fair or the other festivals, these events form an important cultural exchange for local communities.
“The Orange Blossom Festival means a lot to long time locals and many who grew up in the Hills can still remember the open spaces and agricultural areas that covered the entire district.
“Many locals have served on boards, helped organise events, and spent countless hours ensuring the success of events each year.
“At best, the new name ‘Hills Fest’ is underwhelming,” Mr Hawke said.
“Hills Fest is a name without meaning and does not impress. I believe it is a term that will take a long time to receive recognition and support.
“Can you imagine other areas abandoning their identities? For example the Ryde Council dropping the name Granny Smith Festival, held each year in Eastwood in favour of Eastwood Fest?
“There must not be a rush to move away from names and traditions which are important to many in our community. I fear this name change is more to do with modern marketing-speak than accurately reflecting community sentiment.
“In the Hills District we have a distinct, unique name that reflects our Shire’s past and it is the ‘Orange Blossom Festival’.
“I urge Council to reconsider this re-branding decision, recognise the importance of this festival to our past, and retain the name Orange Blossom Festival,” Mr Hawke said.
21 June 2010
Mr HAWKE (Mitchell) (8:02 PM) —It gives me great pleasure to rise tonight to speak on this very important motion before the House. The North West Rail Link represents perhaps the greatest single failing of any government policy, state or federal, in the last 50 years. When you examine what the New South Wales government has done about the north-west rail line over time, you see that it is the greatest breach of trust between a government and Australian voters that you could possibly imagine.
On 29 November 1998, three months prior to a state election, the New South Wales government promised $29 million for a link from Epping Station to Castle Hill. Since then, the government has re-announced the north-west rail line five times. On 9 June 2005, Bob Carr announced an $8 billion, 15-year Metropolitan Rail Extension Program. This announcement included the North West Rail Link, a new passenger line from Cheltenham to Rouse Hill via Castle Hill, with long-term plans to extend to the Vineyard and Richmond lines. On 20 November 2006, the government re-announced the completion of the north-west rail line by 2017—just seven short years away. The first stage, Epping to Hills Centre, would be completed by 2015—it would already almost be complete—and Hills Centre by 2017. Then the government announced the line in June 2007 with an extension from Rouse Hill to Vineyard Station on the Richmond line. Then the New South Wales state government abandoned all plans to build a north-west rail line.
Why do we need a rail line in north-west Sydney? Why is it a vital component of the social, environmental and economic infrastructure that north-west Sydney desperately needs? It is because the electorate of Mitchell has the highest rate of cars per household of any federal electorate in this country, because there are no available public transport options. You drive, and every adult in your household needs to have a car.
It is not just my electorate. Across the road there are similar difficulties in approaching employment, getting to the city or travelling across Sydney because of a failure of government to plan. We understand that governments can only do their best given the circumstances at the time they are put in, but the New South Wales state government has been in place for 16 years. It has been promised over six or seven times. The rail line has been cancelled, re-announced, cancelled, re-announced, cancelled, re-announced. This is the greatest single breach between a government and an electorate in Australian history. This is holding back the economic development of north-west Sydney. It is placing excessive financial burdens on residents, rate payers and people who have to travel by expensive motorways to and from their place of employment.
I quote some examples of people in my electorate going to work every day. This is based on a 48-week working year. Our motorists travelling to the city are now paying $16.90 a day, $84.50 a week, $338 a month, $4,056 a year just to go to work. I am a fan of tollways and motorways, building infrastructure through public-private partnerships—private motorways that will increase our capacity to get things done in Sydney. However, when you look at the litany of failure of the New South Wales government in these ventures, you see that they are giving public-private infrastructure partnerships a bad name in Sydney. We are losing investment in Sydney because of the failures of the Cross City Tunnel, the Lane Cove ventures and all of the things that are happening with the RTA shutting roads and receiving a payment from a company to force people to use a motorway—something that I think all members here would regard as unethical.
In the shadow of the Penrith by-election, we can see that people in New South Wales have woken up to what is happening in north-west Sydney. It is emblematic of a city that is in disarray because of failures of government planning. I note that the member for Parramatta is here. I know that she would be extremely upset at the New South Wales government for breaching its promise to build a Parramatta-Epping rail link. Growing up in Carlingford, I can record my own absolute dismay at the residents in Carlingford not having a line that goes from Parramatta to Epping. But this is about the north-west rail link. It has been talked about throughout the last 15 years. There is a vital need in Sydney for heavy rail lines in the north-west and south-west of Sydney—particularly the north-west—to meet the growth that government has allowed. Government has allowed massive expansion in the north-west of Sydney. It has encouraged it. It has taxed people for the privilege of living there. Special infrastructure levies have been paid. The money has been collected by government, but the state government of New South Wales has abrogated its responsibility. This federal government needs to allocate any money that it gave to New South Wales for a north-west rail line.