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EF Australia press release on Information Policy Advisory Council
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From: danny @ staff.cs.usyd.edu.au ("Danny Yee") 27/08/96 02:40 AM Subject: EFA press release on IPAC membership
Electronic Frontiers Australia Inc.
Media Release August 26 1996
BIG BUSINESS TO SET INTERNET AGENDA FOR GOVERNMENT
In a major departure from its pre-election policy announcement, the Federal Government on Friday announced the composition of the Information Policy Advisory Council (IPAC). The role of IPAC is to provide "authoritative and broadly-based" advice to the government on the legal, social, and economic implications of new information and communications technologies.
Electronic Frontiers Australia (EFA) spokesperson Danny Yee criticised the decision. "While Dr Terry Cutler is a good choice as chair of the Council, its membership as a whole is unrepresentative. The claim that it is 'broadly-based' is just laughable. Despite assurances made in the Coalition policy statement Australia Online, there are no representatives on IPAC from the education sector, the health profession, libraries, the cultural community, professional computing bodies, or Internet user groups."
The Council has 17 members. Three are from government departments. The majority are representatives of major commercial interests (such as Microsoft, Telstra, Optus, IBM, News Corp, the Advance Bank, and the Cane Growers' Council) or multimedia companies (Imago, Optcom, and Sturgess). Just one is from a non-profit non-government organisation (the Australian Consumers Association).
"This Council is clearly dominated by sectional interests, in particular the multimedia industry and big business", Yee continued. "More than half a million ordinary Australians use the Internet; increasing numbers are active producers of information rather than passive consumers. Australian universities have always been on the leading edge of information technology innovation and deployment and information technology is increasingly central to their operation. Professional bodies such as the Australian Computer Society have a long-established role in addressing information technology issues. Who is to argue for the interests -- and offer the experience -- of such groups to the IPAC?"
"In many areas the interests and perspectives of both individuals, service providers, professional bodies, libraries and universities differ radically from those of the organisations represented on the Council. For example: Microsoft proprietary standards vie with open alternatives for market share; IBM is one of several hardware companies tendering for government contracts; Optus and Telstra have plans for cable Internet services which will compete with existing Internet access providers; and Telstra's proposal to introduce timed local calls for data would have negative effects on many Internet users. It is all too easy to imagine the vested interests which will be brought to bear on IPAC through its current membership."
ENDS.
-------------------------------------------------------------- Electronic Frontiers Australia Inc -- http://www.efa.org.au/ representing Internet users concerned with on-line freedoms -------------------------------------------------------------- Media Contacts:
Brenda Aynsley (bpa@iss.net.au) 08 8357 8844
Kim Heitman (kheitman@it.com.au) 09 458 2790
Danny Yee (danny@cs.su.oz.au) 02 9351 5159 (work) / 02 9955 9898 (home) --------------------------------------------------------------
Background:
DOCA press release http://www.dca.gov.au/mediarel/ipac.html
Coalition Policy "Australia Online" http://www.liberal.org.au/POLICY/ONLINE/online.htm ```
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