Page 2075 - Week 06 - Thursday, 7 May 2009
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place about the content of this website, that they have properly and fully investigated it and that they are able to substantiate their claim that there is no association between the Liberal opposition and members of its staff or other Liberal Party members with the development of this website. That is the simple and straightforward request that the government is putting forward today. We hope that it will be met without any opposition or disagreement in this place.
MR SESELJA (Molonglo—Leader of the Opposition) (12.17): Mr Speaker, it is sad but true that inappropriate and offensive and, in some cases, illegal content makes its way onto the internet, often anonymously. In the case of the Facebook pages which have caused offence to the Treasurer, I condemn what has occurred. I have stated this publicly and in my letter to the Treasurer. Neither I nor the Liberal Party condones any actions which use sexist, racist, homophobic or any other vilification in any medium.
As I also stated in my letter to the Treasurer, the Liberal Party has made a number of inquiries. Given this was an anonymous posting, where the creator deliberately hid their identity, those inquiries have failed to uncover the origin of the site. With the information at hand, the person responsible has not been identified.
The regulation of internet material is difficult as anyone can post anything at any time. After exhausting our own lines of inquiry, I also asked the Treasurer to provide any additional information she or her office or the Labor Party may have which could assist in identifying the person responsible. I did this merely with the intent that if there was any further information out there I would like to be aware of it. It was a genuine attempt to get any and all relevant facts that might help in the process.
The Treasurer cannot control what is posted on the internet, I cannot control what is posted on the internet and neither of our parties can control what is posted on the internet. It is a sad fact that those of us in public life are subject to cowardly anonymous attacks. It has happened to me, it has happened to my colleagues and it has happened to members of Labor and the Greens. None of us like it. None of us condone it. None of us can completely control it.
The staff of Liberal Party members have been spoken to regarding this issue. I have spoken to the President of the Liberal Party and asked for inquiries to take place. I have no documents relating to those inquiries. I have written to the Treasurer, and I will table the letter. In fact, I will table all of the documents that I have, and I will go through them. Mr Hanson has released a statement, which I will also table. Brett Chant has written letters of apology and has received both verbal and written acceptances. I also table that correspondence. I ask leave of the Assembly to table those documents.
Leave granted.
MR SESELJA: I table the following documents:
“Facebook” postings—Copies of—
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