Oz Election Thread #4 - Gillard's Labor

...Perhaps an alternative way of delineating it is to say being right wing means that you think that the more a person is like you (nationality, ethnicity, creed) the more human they are, and the more left wing you are the more you believe we are all equally human. I think that fits with positions on refugees, capital punishment, bigotry, indigenous issues, sexism, etc.

Growing opposition to 'Timor Solution'[/b]
By Sara Everingham in Dili
Updated 1 hour 32 minutes ago

East Timor's deputy prime minister, Jose Luis Guterres, says his country is "very unlikely" to accept the proposal. (Customs and Border Protection Service)

Prime Minister Julia Gillard's plan to send asylum seekers to a regional processing centre in East Timor is running into increasing opposition from the country's politicians.

East Timor's deputy prime minister, Jose Luis Guterres, says his country is "very unlikely" to accept the idea, which Ms Gillard announced at a press conference earlier this week.

Ms Gillard says she is yet to speak to East Timor's prime minister, Xanana Gusmao, who will have the final say on the decision.

The issue is expected to be top of the agenda when Mr Gusmao meets with president Jose Ramos-Horta in Dili today.

PM vows to block 'dark side' of net
ARI SHARP
July 8, 2010

Gillard stands firm on web filter

JULIA Gillard says she is aware of public concerns over the mandatory internet filter interfering with ''legitimate use'' but has vowed to push ahead with the controversial proposal.

In her first comments on the filter since assuming the Labor leadership, Ms Gillard told ABC radio in Darwin yesterday that the proposal was an effort to control the ''dark side'' of communications technology.

''Images of child abuse, child pornography - they are not legal in our cinemas,'' the Prime Minister said.

''Why should you be able to see them on the internet? I think that's the kind of moral, ethical question at the heart of this.''

Ms Gillard indicated Communications Minister Stephen Conroy might tweak parts of the proposed filter before it was introduced.

''I understand that there's a set of … technical concerns about internet speed, and also concerns that somehow this accidentally doesn't move into taking away legitimate use of the internet,'' she said.

Vocal filter critic Mark Newton said the comments showed Ms Gillard was not going to use the change of leadership to moderate the party's position on the issue.

Gillard urged to spell out plan to tackle climate change
The Australian/July 08, 2010 11:04AM


PRESSURE is mounting on Julia Gillard to reveal her plans to tackle climate change after ruling out putting a price on carbon until 2012.

The opposition said today that the Prime Minister had no option but to adopt a form of the Coalition's direct-action policy and Greens leader Bob Brown said the government was “sitting on its hands”.

“I have already said I am holding to the decision that was announced by the Government that we will review in 2012 the nature of the community consensus in Australia about the Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme,” Ms Gillard said on the ABC's Lateline program last night.

Ms Gillard has been recalibrating policy on a range of key issues, including the controversial mining tax and asylum-seekers.

Climate change remains one of the policy priorities she nominated in her first press conference as prime minister.

“It is as disappointing to me as it is to millions of Australians that we do not have a price on carbon,” she said.

“If elected as Prime Minister I will re-prosecute the case for a carbon price at home and abroad.”

Opposition environment spokesman Greg Hunt told The Australian Online today that the only option open to Ms Gillard was to adopt a form of the Coalition's policy.

“I think we are set for the government to adopt significant elements of the Coalition's policy, but in standard practice, to deny that they've done it,” he said.

* More asylum seekers on way to Christmas Island

*East Timor greets asylum proposal with scepticism

* Gillard defends East Timor plan

PM dares to win - or fall
July 9, 2010/the AGE

Prime Minister Julia Gillard is essentially gambling all for victory at the next election.

JULIA Gillard is dancing an election jig atop a tightrope. Her bold pitch on boat people shows how much she is willing to dare for the sake of votes. It has also raised wider issues of what she stands for, the way she goes about things, and even whether she will be up to the job.

The political question is how much these uncertainties about her will matter when the people come to make their choice. The substitution of Gillard for Kevin Rudd means that voters will be taking a leap of faith, whether they choose the PM or Tony Abbott. ...

Conroy puts internet filter on backburner
Updated 43 minutes ago


The Federal Government has deferred the introduction of its mandatory internet filtering program.

Communications Minister Senator Stephen Conroy says the filter will not be put in place until an independent review can be carried out into what content would be banned.

The review, which Senator Conroy says is likely to take about a year, will look at what makes up "refused classification" rated content.

Senator Conroy says internet service providers Telstra, Optus and Primus have agreed to block websites known to contain child pornography in the meantime. ....<cont>