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PRESS RELEASES FROM JEFF SHAW, NSW ATTORNEY GENERAL 11/7/96\

Draft national proposals to regulate the internet in order to protect 
children from objectionable material are set to be discussed today by all 
Australian Attorneys general.

The NSW Attorney General , Mr Shaw, QC, said it was unfortunate there 
had been so much misinformation about the national proposals, the details 
of which NSW had announced.

"Firstly, the legislation is NOT NSW legislation, but was simply drafted by 
NSW on the instruction of the Standing Committee of Attorneys general, and 
purely based on proposals that had been approved by that body."

"My intention in telling people about these draft national proposals, and 
they are only that, draft, was to inform the public and encourage debate on 
the issue. While some of the criticism has been misinformed, I am pleased 
to say that I have received some helpful responses."

"Most critics of the draft proposals have based their criticism on an 
outdated draft of the proposed regime, without looking at the full story- 
the fact that is any legislation is approved by the Attorneys general, it will 
not go through without a compulsory, fair and workable code of practice, 
which would cotain defenses to any offenses created under the legislation. 
The code of practice would necessarily take in the differing 
responsibilities and capabilities of people involved, such as internet users 
and service providers, and would be worked out by consulting extensively 
with the industry."

"I do not wish to speculate on what the code of practice may contain, 
because industry and user input is vital in this regard."

"I am pleased to say I have received a number of submissions whuich have 
expressed variuos reasonable concerns, and I will raise these with my 
fellow Attonrney's general at the ... meeting today."

"I wish to emphasise that I have no fixed view about the draft national 
internet regulation proposals. However, I do believe that prohibiting MA 
material in any regulation regime would be unnecessarily restrictive".

"And, I also believe, as I always have, that if any plans to protect children 
from objectionable material on the internet do proceed, they must also 
preserve freedom of speech, freedom of exchange for adults, and 
importantly, privacy"

--
Matt Coleman                                                      
Surfing the information super cliche from               
Newcastle, NSW, Australia                                 
                                                  
Internet: mattc@corona.laa.com.au

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