Australian Senator Richard Alston is to retire as minister for Communications, Information Technology and The Arts. This will be welcomed by many in the online gambling community, indeed some members of the Internet community at large.
Back in 2001, Alston introduced a law to make Australian-based online gambling illegal . But that’s not all. Among Alston’s other practical and progressive ideas, he also wanted to make forwarding email illegal.
The Senator was also against a proposal to roll-out high speed Internet access across Australia, describing it as a 'costly waste of time'.
Recently, an Australian Internet rights group was granted a right to reply in official parliamentary records after complaining that comments he made about the organisation during a debate were 'factually incorrect'. He has also been vociferous in equating the spread of broadband Internet access with the dissemination of pornography.
Never mind, Mr. Alston – there’s a place for upstanding, god-fearing killjoy legislators like yourself in another ex-colonial continent – perhaps Senator Kyl could use some help with his US campaigns…
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