It begins: Freedom of the press under threat in Australia

Communications Minister Stephen Conroy has floated a government-funded media regulator from the Australian.

Make no mistake.

This government in coalition with the Greens cannot handle any criticism whatsoever, and even though most of the media here has a demonstrably left-wing bias this isn’t enough for them.

The Greens are a Marxist/Totalitarian party, who support BDS in Australia - even though some deny it.


The Labor Party is showing its true totalitarian/Fabian Socialist roots.

Not only are they introducing a National Broadband Network that will be obsolete by the time it is completed - read 'censorship', but now they want to censor our media.

Of course it goes without saying that this is an attempt to censor any conservative-leaning writers and bloggers.

Their disregard for democracy knows no bounds.

I have often wondered if I will ever see another election in this country, and the USA as well.

These people must know they will be thrown out of government and yet it doesn't bother them one bit!

Voters' opinions are not important to them at all.

Both have very low approval figures.

Maybe they know something they don't want to let us in on.

Note as mentioned in the article below, this also gives them an excuse to go after the Murdoch press Downunder.

NEWSPAPERS could face scrutiny from a government-funded regulator as a result of a new media probe, but they would not fall under government control, Communications Minister Stephen Conroy said today.

Senator Conroy confirmed a single media regulator overseeing all print, online and broadcast media could be one of the changes to flow from the government's independent media inquiry launched yesterday.

He agreed the days of the Australian Press Council, which he called a "toothless tiger", could be numbered

But he rejected the suggestion a single regulator would hand the government control of newspapers.

"That's absurd. The government doesn't have any more control or reach about how Channel Nine or Channel Ten or Channel Seven or even the ABC under the existing laws today," he told the ABC.

"To suggest that because the Press Council might become a more professional organisation of part of a merged entity that suddenly the government has got more control is just wrong."

Senator Conroy said the inquiry covered a specific area not covered by a separate review looking at the convergence of media types.

He said Labor had set the terms of reference, staring down Greens Leader Bob Brown who wanted to use the inquiry to further his campaign against News Limited, publisher of The Australian.

Senator Brown continued his attack News Limited today, accusing it of mixing news with opinion and of conducting "witch hunts".

"This (inquiry) is in the public interest," he said.

"It's the public that absorbs the information and that depends upon the media for information in a healthy and functioning democracy and we need the media and it's a very important part of our lives.

"The Murdoch empire is relentless about wanting inquiries into politics and politicians, and that's how it should be, but they don't like it when it's the other way around."

And furthermore it seems that bloggers and tweeters could also be at risk.

From the press conference yesterday of Communications Minister Stephen Conroy:

Journalist:

But you’d also have to define who could be complained about and what the penalities would be once they were complained about? A tweeter, a blogger, a…

Conroy:

Well, as you said. Now you’re canvassing areas that I think will be richly canvassed in the inquiry, and these are the sort of… these are, the questions is… you’re asking all the legitimate questions.

Further reading: Andrew Bolt’s take.