Alice Springs cricket carnival good news for Indigenous sport
A three-day Indigenous cricket carnival organised by the Australian Cricket
Board (ACB) and the Northern Territory Cricket Association for this weekend is a
positive initiative to involve more Indigenous Australians in cricket.
“The Imparja Cup, an all-Indigenous competition involving teams from all
States, demonstrates the Australian Cricket Board’s commitment to Indigenous
sport,” the Shadow Minister for Sport, Senator Lundy, said today.
“I welcome this ongoing investment by the ACB into Indigenous cricket and
congratulate them and the Northern Territory Cricket Association for bringing
together competitors from around the country.
“Aboriginal and Islander people have faced innumerable barriers and
obstacles in sport and there remains an appalling lack of sporting and
recreational infrastructure in rural and remote communities.
I have previously called on the Howard Government to earmark more money for
Indigenous sport in light of the Government’s claims that they have allocated
“the highest amount ever provided” to sport.
“In this context, Labor welcomes the initiatives being undertaken by the
Australian Cricket Board and urges the Coalition to provide increased funding
and opportunities for Aboriginal and Islander people to participate in cricket,
and indeed all sports,” Senator Lundy said.
Media contact: Simon Tatz on 02 6277 3334 or 0418 488 295
Alston admits ICT ignorance
The Coalition’s establishment of the Broadband Advisory Group and the ICT
Framework for the Future steering committee represents an admission that the
Howard Government is out of ideas and has nowhere to go, the Shadow Minister for
Information Technology, Senator Kate Lundy, said today.
Senator Alston yesterday announced the make-up of the Broadband Advisory
Group, which is to advise “..the Government on broadband development in
Australia”, and the ICT Framework for the Future steering committee, which is
tasked with advising “Senator Alston on broader consultation to ensure all
views are taken into account in the development of the Framework.”
During the last election, the Coalition incorrectly criticised Labor's
Knowledge Nation report for “merely committing Labor to yet more summits,
reviews and committees” - yet this is exactly what Senator Alston just
announced.
“Labor’s initiative sought to fix the problems caused by the Coalition’s
neglect,” Senator Lundy said, “However, this initiative will only set our
current problems in concrete.
“While Labor welcomes, at last, the prospect of some informed opinion in
Senator Alston’s ear, one wonders how an expert panel can be expected to make
up for six years of ineptitude from an IT Minister who continues to demonstrate
a lack of understanding of information technology issues.
“Despite the great potential of Australia’s local ICT sector our ICT
deficit is so large that it consumes all of our export earnings for wheat, wool,
iron ore, and aluminium, and Australians continue to be left without reliable
access to broadband technologies.
“Senator Alston is just throwing up his hands and saying ‘somebody tell
me what to do’,” Senator Lundy said.
Media contact: Simon Tatz on 02 6277 3334 or 0418 488 295
Industry takes step forward in safe surfing
Today’s launch of the Internet Industry Association’s (IIA) “Family
Friendly ISP Program”, an initiative that allows consumers to identify
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) which will help them use the Internet safely,
was welcomed by the Shadow Minister for Information Technology, Senator Kate
Lundy.
“It is important that people of all ages can access the benefits that the
online world has to offer, with the confidence they can manage internet content.”
Senator Lundy said.
“The Labor Party has always encouraged internet users to be proactive in
determining what they and their families view online.
“The IIA Family Friendly ISP Program will help users to find their own
filter technology or strategy to help them surf with confidence.
“For this reason, the IIA Family Friendly ISP Program, operating as it will
to assist users, is welcome.
“I applaud the internet industry for working hard to develop an initiative
which empowers their customers to take control of the virtual realm,” Senator
Lundy said.
Media contact: Simon Tatz on 02 6277 3334 or 0418 488 295
Senator Kate Lundy Shadow Minister for Sport and IT
and
Nicola Roxon, MP, Shadow Minister for Children and Youth
Recognition of ‘street sports’ positive move for young
people
An Australian Sports Commission initiative to recognise ‘street sports’
such as skateboarding, BMX freestyle riding and inline skating is a positive
move in recognising and supporting the activities of young Australians.
The Australian Sports Commission (ASC) recently announced a new initiative,
1800 Reverse Street Active, aimed at expanding the numbers of young people
involved in sports commonly known as ‘street sports.’ These sports include
skateboarding, freestyle BMX, inline skating, inline hockey and inline speed
skating.
“This initiative is a welcome move by the Sports Commission and
demonstrates that ‘street sports’ do have a place in our sporting system
alongside traditional elite and Olympic sports,” the Shadow Minister for
Sport, Senator Lundy, said.
“I urge all local councils to be involved with the 1800 Reverse Street
Active initiative and follow up on the Sports Commissions call to update or
establish sporting facilities that cater to young people,” Senator Lundy said.
"I have been conducting a survey of young Australians and have been
flooded with suggestions to increase recreational facilities for street sports,
particularly skateboarding,” the Shadow Minister for Youth Affairs, Nicola
Roxon, said.
“It’s obvious to me that street sports are becoming increasingly popular
with Australia's young people.
"Suitable sporting and recreational opportunities also have a role in
addressing social and health issues such as crime prevention, social dislocation
and substance abuse,” Ms Roxon said.
Media contact: Simon Tatz 6277 3334 or 0418 488 295
Alston says it’s OK to keep ‘pair gains’ secret
Senator Alston reckons it’s OK for Telstra not to inform its customers when
they are supplied with a ‘pair gain’ on their phone line, even though it
could result in inferior data connection speeds.
A ‘pair gain’ is digital technology that allows a single phone line to be
split up into two or more lines. In practice, a ‘pair gain’ can have the
effect of reducing connection speeds for internet access. Telstra charge exactly
the same for line rental and call charges and do not advise the customer of this
practice.
In Senate Question Time today, Minister Alston acknowledged that a ‘pair
gain’ connection resulted in a reduction of internet connection speeds.
However, Minister Alston supported Telstra’s practice of not informing
consumers that they were getting a sub-standard service.
The Minister said that there was “nothing unusual or cynical” about
Telstra not advising customers that they may be supplied with a ‘pair gain’.
“I disagree in the strongest possible terms,” Senator Lundy said.
“I have received hundreds of specific complaints through my web site and
clearly this is a hot issue from many internet users.
“I call on Telstra and the Minister to ensure that all new and existing
customers are formally informed by Telstra if they are supplied with a phone
line that is affected by the ‘pair gain’ arrangement and the implications
this service may have on telephony and Internet access,” Senator Lundy said.
Senator Lundy’s ‘victims of pair gains‘ web site can be found at: www.katelundy.com.au
Media contact: Simon Tatz on 6277 3334 or 0418 488 295
Alston abandons IT outsourcing industry development framework
for SMEs
The Howard Government has abandoned an industry development strategy for
small to medium sized IT businesses (SMEs) involved in IT Outsourcing contracts,
effectively leaving these small businesses out in the cold,” Senator Lundy,
the Shadow Minister for Information Technology, said today.
Senator Lundy was speaking at an ACT Business Council Outsourcing Roundtable
in Canberra today.
On 23 April 2001, Senator Alston issued a media
release announcing that the Government would investigate impediments to SMEs
selling IT goods and services to government:
'In addition to retaining key SME involvement criteria in larger
contracts, the Government has announced an investigation of any impediments
to SMEs selling IT goods and services to government, with an action plan
addressing any impediments identified to be prepared.
At the recent round of Senate Estimates hearings it became apparent that
Minister Alston would not be pursuing a strategic industry development framework
on behalf of IT SMEs, as promised.
Rather, the draft framework had been dumped in favour of dealing with
industry development issues as part of the individual tender processes for each
line agency. (see ECITA Senate Estimates, 18 Feb. 2002, p 74)
Further, this was confirmed Mr Peter Slipper, Parliamentary Secretary to the
Minister for Finance, when he said that these issues were to be referred to a
new ICT industry development committee, which was yet to be created.
“This means that the big end of town have won a huge victory. There will
now be even less opportunity to test industry development commitments and
outcomes as each contract will now have its own provisions,” Senator Lundy
said.
“This is an outrageous outcome and IT SMEs need to demand action from
Minister Alston, who is happy to smile for the cameras when there is good news,
but is unwilling to produce vital industry development policies, let alone
implement them,” Senator Lundy concluded.
Media contact: Simon Tatz on 02 6277 3334 or 0418 488 295
A Child Care Centre For Parliament House
Kate Lundy, Shadow Minister for Information Technology and
Sport
and
Trish Crossin, Chair of Labor Status of Women Caucus Committee
It is time for a child care centre to be provided within the Parliament
House.
"Child care has been long accepted as an essential workplace
entitlement," Senator Kate Lundy said in a speech to the Senate last night.
"The desirability of providing a child care centre for the Parliament
has been argued and accepted for over 20 years," Senator Lundy said.
"Delays and postponements of the child care project have only ever been
on the grounds of opposition to each proposed site. From time to time funding
for a child care facility has been allocated, but never used.
"Now, workers in Parliament House will again be surveyed on their child
care needs. A 1995 survey indicated substantial demand then for child care for
those working in Parliament House, so the 2002 survey is expected to indicate
substantial increased demand.
"The Labor Status of Women Caucus Committee has already identified a
suitable area within Parliament House, an area which is little used, and which
will require fewer modifications than other areas proposed," Senator
Crossin said.
"The child care survey is a positive step towards gaining a child care
facility for and in Parliament House, Senator Crossin said.
Senators Lundy and Crossin called on all parliamentarians, parliamentary
departments and all occupants of Parliament House to support and work in good
faith towards this goal.
As a first step, the Senators called on all workers within Parliament House
to ensure that the Joint House Child Care Survey receives widespread
distribution and support.
Survey forms are to be completed and sent to the outside consultants,
Families at Work, by 22 March.
Media Contact: Simon Tatz on 02 6277 3334 or 0418 488 295
Hundred’s of Telstra Pair Gains victims air their
grievances
Hundreds of victims of Telstra’s ‘pair gain’ technology have aired
their grievances on a website established by the Shadow Minister for Information
Technology, Senator Lundy, to monitor the extent of Telstra’s misleading
practice.
Telstra uses ‘pair gain’ technology when customers order a second
telephone line. Instead of supplying a dedicated second line, Telstra simply
splits the single phone line going into consumers’ houses into two halves, but
charges for a completely new service. This has the effect of splitting the
available bandwidth in two. So, if the customer wanted to use the second “line”
to access the Internet, they could never get better than 28 kilo bits per
second, even if they bought the fastest and most expensive modem on the market.
Senator Lundy’s website has received over 300 individual stories of
difficulties with Telstra and their pair gains system in just two days.
“This issue resonates with online constituents who experience daily
problems with Telstra’s pair gain system,” Senator Lundy said.
“Telstra says there may be 0.5 to 1 million customers who are potentially
stuck with this second-class technology because the company has been happy to
take a cheap short cut to avoid upgrading its network in the urban, regional and
rural areas.
“Telstra has been happy to charge consumers for a completely new service,
including line rental, while keeping secret from their long suffering customers
that they are simply getting their old service split into two halves, or, as
Telstra calls it, a pair gain technology.
“I urge Telstra customers to take their own action and either contact
Telstra to ask if they are one of potentially millions affected, or make your
concerns known to me via my Victims of Pair Gain website,” Senator Lundy said.
Register your concerns on the Victims of Pair Gains site:
http://www.katelundy.com.au/pairgainvictims.htm
Media Contact: Simon Tatz on 02 6277 3334 or 0418 488 295
Pay TV deal may jeopardise domestic sport coverage
Future coverage of major domestic Australian sports, including soccer,
cricket basketball and women’s sport may be placed in jeopardy following a
decision by pay-television operators Foxtel and Optus Television to share
programs, the Shadow Minister for Sport, Senator Lundy, said today.
“Putting aside issues relating directly to the merger, my concern is the
impact this move may have on domestic sporting competitions, athletes and fans,”
Senator Lundy said.
“Although the ACCC is set to carefully examine the deal to ascertain its
implications, I am concerned that sports screened on Channel 7’s
pay-television channel, C7, may not continue to be broadcast,”
“I am particularly concerned about the future of the National Soccer League
(NSL) which is broadcast on C7. It is well documented that soccer in Australia
is struggling following the failure to reach the World Cup, and any diminution
of coverage would be detrimental to the game.
“Domestic cricket and basketball may also struggle to gain coverage under
the Foxtel-Optus deal and the ACCC should ensure that the pay-television
proposal does not disenfranchise national sporting organisations and their fans.
“With a shake up in the coverage of sport forecast, this new pay-television
arrangement provides a unique opportunity for broadcasters to increase their
coverage of women’s sport.
“I urge both pay-television and free-to-air broadcasters to take into
account the interests of all Australian sporting fans and organisations when
considering their sporting program schedules,” Senator Lundy said.
Media contact: Simon Tatz on 6277 3334 or 0418 488 295
Kate Lundy, Shadow Minister for IT
and
Lindsay Tanner, Shadow Minister for Communications
Telstra Gains, Consumers Lose, Taxpayers Pay
Telstra has admitted to a Senate Estimates Committee that customers who order
a second phone line from Telstra are likely to get the same service in two
halves - but pay twice the price.
Under questioning, Telstra executives admitted that it was common practice
for the company to split the single phone line going into consumers’ houses so
that a second service could be installed (known as a ‘pair gain’).
This has the effect of splitting the available bandwidth in two. So, if the
customer wanted to use the second “line” to access the Internet, they could
never get better than 28 kilo bits per second, even if they bought the fastest
and most expensive modem on the market.
“Telstra has been happy to charge consumers for a completely new service,
including line rental, while keeping secret from their long suffering customers
that they are simply getting their old service split into two halves, or, as
Telstra calls it, “a pair gain technology”, Senator Lundy said.
Telstra says up to 1 million customers are potentially stuck with this
second-class technology because the company has been happy to take a cheap short
cut to avoid upgrading its network in urban, regional and rural areas.
Telstra have also admitted that customers stuck in these technological
backwaters are unable to access the company’s ADSL broadband service because
it cannot be delivered over the outdated networks it has deliberately maintained
in these areas.
"This is just another example of Telstra short-changing consumers. In
recent times Telstra has increased its mobile phone and Internet charges,
cancelled its no-frills Easymail service and overseen a serious decline in the
number of Telstra operated payphones and a massive decline in the number of
directory assistance calls. Telstra must start putting consumers first, the
Shadow Minister for Communications, Lindsay Tanner, said.
“Now, Senator Alston is spending another $50 million to fix the worst cases
of pair gain victims (those below 19.2 kilo bits), sparing Telstra the
consequences of their own cost cutting and neglect.
“Contrary to recent assertions from Telstra chief executive Ziggy
Switkowski, a million Australians cannot access Telstra broadband service, even
if they could afford it," Senator Kate Lundy said.
“I urge Telstra customers to take their own action and contact Telstra to
ask if they are one of potentially millions affected, and, if so, what is the maximum
bandwidth available to them, remembering that Telstra is required to provide a
minimum of 19.2 kilo bits,” Senator Lundy said.
“I have set up a website for Victims of Pair
Gains, so we can get a picture
of how widespread this problem truly is,” Senator Lundy said. http://www.katelundy.com.au/pairgainvictims.htm
Media Contact: Simon Tatz on 02 6277 3334 or 0418 488 295 or
Peter van Vliet on 0408188 055
Senator Lundy to investigate AIS concerns over Gungahlin road
extension
ACT Senator and Shadow Minister for Sport, Senator Kate Lundy, will finally
have the opportunity to investigate alleged concerns recently raised by the
Australian Institute of Sport when she inspects the AIS precinct tomorrow
afternoon.
“I look forward to the opportunity to hear, for the first time, the
concerns of the current CEO of the Australian Sports Commission (ASC), Mr Mark
Peters, about the proposed Gungahlin road extension.
“I wrote to the Australian Sports Commission after they raised the issue of
the Gungahlin extension during last month’s Senate Estimates hearings. I
indicated then that I was gravely concerned that the Australian Sports
Commission had sought to politicise any genuine concerns the Australian
Institute of Sport may have regarding the road.
“Of particular concern is statements made by both ACT and Federal Liberal
Party representatives implying that the AIS would move from Canberra unless the
proposed extension does not proceed.
“I will be seeking assurances that the Australian Sports Commission will
not be intransigent and that Mr Peters will negotiate with the ACT Government in
good faith, given that the road alignment within the western corridor is yet to
be finalised.
“If the AIS is intransigent or insists on unreasonable action, like
building a tunnel, then I can only assume the worst - that the road issue is a
smokescreen to shut down or reduce the AIS’s operations in Canberra,”
Senator Lundy said.
Media Contact: Simon Tatz on 6277 3334 or 0418 488 295
Lessig’s lessons should not be lost
“At the World Congress on Information Technology (WCIT) in Adelaide,
Stanford Law Professor Lawrence Lessig provided insights into the relationships
between ICT infrastructure, network protocols and content providers, which
served as a guide to assist policy makers through the maze of debates about
innovation, intellectual property, cross-media ownership, telecommunications and
regulations.
“Professor Lessig’s presentation should be distributed far and wide. It
is a call for people in the IT industry, from those writing code to
entrepreneurs, to take an interest in the political debates that affect their
future and the future of the internet,” Senator Kate Lundy, the Shadow
Minister for Information Technology, said in Adelaide today.
“The message from Professor Lessig is that government’s need to look
beyond the concentrated incumbent interests and set their policy sights far
higher, aiming at the public interest and fostering social progress.
“This is a message that the Australian Labor Party both understands and
subscribes to.
“Our policy review will be far reaching and ascend beyond the narrow issues
presented by vested interests. I have been inspired by the insights offered by
Professor Lessig and look forward to a more informed public debate in Australia
about the future of the internet, both domestically and globally.” Senator
Lundy concluded.
Media Contact: Simon Tatz on 0418 488 295
