Category: Press Release

Press releases

Pirate Party Pillages Private Papers

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Recently, a document that is allegedly a consolidated discussion paper of the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement was leaked in full to the internet. Today, due to the complete lack of a transparent public consultation process with ACTA, Pirate Party Australia will also be mirroring this controversial document, in order to fuel public awareness and debate surrounding government transparency. You can view the PDF with
software such as Adobe Acrobat Reader or Foxit Reader by visiting the following link.

Download PDF Version of Secret ACTA Documents

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An Open Letter To Tony Smith, The Shadow Minister For Broadband, Communications And The Digital Economy

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26 March, 2010

Dear Minister,

My name is David Gaetjens. I am the Vice President of Pirate Party Australia. I have read the “Update on Labor’s mandatory web filter plan” article on your blog and I am interested in further clarification. Although you have voiced an opinion on various censorship issues, you seem to have stopped short of saying how Liberal intends to vote on such issues, if and when legislation is presented.

Could you please answer the following questions so that we, and the electorate, may understand your party’s policies?

* What is the Liberal Party’s policy on Mandatory Internet Filtering?

* How will you vote if mandatory filter legislation is introduced?

* How will you vote if opt-out filter legislation is introduced?

* How will you vote if opt-in filter legislation is introduced?

* What is the Liberal Party’s policy on R18+ Classification for games?

Is the Liberal Party planning an independent review of the results of the filtering trials due to the controversy surrounding these results?

What alternatives to ISP-based internet filtering are the Liberal Party considering? Would an optional PC-based content filter, such as the one provided by the previous Coalition government be considered?

Thank you for taking the time to read our enquiries. I look forward to your considered reply at your earliest convenience. If you want to discuss these policies in greater detail, I would be more than happy to organise a meeting.

Kind Regards,

David Gaetjens
Vice President
Pirate Party Australia

Web: http://www.pirateparty.org.au/
Email: [email protected]

Pirate Party Australia And The South Australian State Election

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Unfortunately, although the South Australian Pirate Party has undergone significant progress in its capacity and development was not in a position to contest candidates for the South Australian Elections, and we’ve now focused our attentions on the upcoming federal elections. However the South Australian election on 20th of March is important, and the party needs you to send a strong message to the both the state and federal Labor governments.

Whilst the the Pirate Party Australia, SA Branch aren’t fielding our own candidates, we have identified a few other Parties and candidates we think best reflect the ideals – that voters who would have otherwise voted ‘Pirate’ should consider.

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World Day Against Cyber Censorship

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March 12 is an important day, even more so for Australians this year. It is the one day a year where we all protest incursions against the freedom of expression, and governments that threaten the freedom of the internet. Reporters Sans Frontières marks the occassion each year by issuing a list of “Enemies of the Internet”.

Whilst Australia does not yet make this auspicious list which includes countries like Iran, China, Saudi Arabia, Vietnam and Tunisia – nations that restrict access online and harass their citizens; it does make the list of nations under surveillance. This list is representative of nations that are implementing policies that could potentially limit the freedom of the internet.Stop Cyber Censorship

The intention may be good, but as RSF points out, the internet has become an important platform for social, cultural and economic interaction, for information sharing, and for mobilisation — the most important forum for political discourse.

The tendency of governments to interfere with and censor materials that does not conform with their moral agenda, choosing secrecy when policy laundering through secretive negotiations like ACTA, which the EU Parliament demanded transparency for, by a 633-13 vote. There is a real threat that if not now, in the future, these tools will be used to hinder political thought and silence dissent.

It is more important than ever that we act to stop censorship, that we defend the freedom of the internet from reactionary, well intentioned but ill thought out ‘solutions’. Precedence of our fundamental civil liberties must be given over the current system of unworkable information monopolies that dominate our apparently open and democratic society.

So today, consider joining the party if you haven’t already, and take the time to take action for an open internet. Today is World Day Against Cyber Censorship. Make it count.

Senator Lundy And Censorship Lite

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Pirate Party Australia rejects the Censorship Lite™ proposal currently espoused by Senator Lundy as a viable or appropriate alternative to the current proposal.

“Senator Lundy’s proposal for a ‘mandatory option’ for the internet filter is a bit of a hollow response to concerns of the wider community. It is basically opt-out, wrapped in double speak. Opt-out may seem marginally more palatable than the current proposals, however in some respects it is actually worse – it is totally unacceptable because it breaches the fundamental right to privacy.” said Rodney Serkowski, Party Secretary.

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