Broadband users rejoice, the man famously described as "the world's biggest Luddite", Communications minister Richard Alston is set to resign.

The new guy in the hot seat is Attorney General Daryl Williams. He’s pretty sharp, and unlike his predecessor, is unlikely to put claim demand for broadband is driven by porn obsessed games freaks.

It's all part of Howard's cabinet reshuffle, more of which can be read here.

HUZZAAH!@#


now lets just hope the next one isn't a fool, too.

how do broardband users benefit from this?

Yeah f*** off Alston already. You are living in the 20's buddy. Lets see what Dazza can do :D

if he wasnt going to get such a massive super annuation payout, id be stoked :(

how do broardband users benefit from this?

Well, Alston has spent the last few years doing f***all except embarrassing us abroad.

Williams is an untested quantity as far as his ICT knowledge goes, but at least he'll be willing to get in there and attempt to understand his portfolio, and not just feather his nest with $10K telstra plasma TVs.

Williams is a smart cookie. He's got to be better for broadband users than Alston. Either way the election goes, that area needed new blood. Alston was too cosy with Telstra by far to be an objective authority.

yeah but it doesnt affect us does it?

GOOOOOODBYE d*******!

/me waves to Hemmy and slowly walks off

Good ridance to the old bastard. What they need is someone much younger and who knows exactly what the hell IT really means.

What they need is someone much younger and who knows exactly what the hell IT really means.

trog could do it, although he is a bit of a noob....

and there was much rejoicing...

yeah but it doesnt affect us does it?

No more than any Minister of a country affects the industries/issues covered by their portfolio.

They control government spending on that area, as well as guiding debate on regulation. If you have an IT minister intent on strangling spending on broadband infrastructure, for instance, it leads to lack of broadband takeup and users complaining about quality/availability of service.

If you have an IT minister unwilling to take a firm hand to regulation, you end up with massive monopolies controlling a market to theior own ends, not the users.

But yes, of course none of this stuff affects "us".

You are aware that the f***stick replacing the outgoing f***stick is the one responsible for the lack of an R rating for computer games (despite advice from the OFLC to the contrary) so I'd expect to see a renewed effort to save the children from the evils of the interweb some time in the not too distant future.

oh f***ing little bastard i hope this guy pulls his head out of his arse and doesnt try to pull the censorship bs and limit access or something along those obscenely gay lines

Ah good point Vagabond... WIlliams was the preachy tool who appealed the OFLC's decision to grant Baise Moi a R+ rating, resulting in it getting banned.

Even more scary, Philip Ruddock is to be the new attorney general. I can't wait to see how many movies he bans on the grounds that they're not supporting aryan virtues.

claim demand for broadband is driven by porn obsessed games freaks.

but my computer is only made up of those 2 things, and id be willing to bet that 90% of people here were the same

f***, I forgot about the R Rating BS. Like Sancho said... little bastard.

Death to the politicians.... kill them all

Trog for Communications Minister!!!

Go Trawwg

Arnie for governor !

i third that motion.

not that he'd be biased or anything..

As long as Amanda Vanstone is still in their government, they'll never get my vote, even though Crean looks like the dodgiest guy out there.

iateababy, um, hi?

you wont get enough votes to get anywhere, unless you can get some big news media attention

Trog for Communications Minister!!!

bleed the humour and taste the residual tang that is our day to day reality.


it would be nice to see a Minister with real-world knowledge, but sadly, it aint gonna happen my friend.

Vote for puppet #2 cause chances I'll sell out my values and become puppet #2 :P

Yay!.. Out with the old parasite and in with the new.

This is good isn't it?

*sigh*

Oh well, I guess Telstra are up for another $10,000 plasma TV.

...is unlikely to put claim demand for broadband is driven by porn obsessed games freaks.

damnit!! just when I thought I was finally in a stereotyped group too!

I pay for broadband and I vote.

when will you people learn, you need to be told what's good for you

Sif political scientists are real scientists.

If you don't get to wear a lab coat its not science.

Long-standing Immigration Minister Philip Ruddock was made Attorney-General.

Thats gotta be teh classiest post-april fool's joke i've ever seen.

If you don't like it, make sure you vote for a different government. Soon as I have time I'll put together my party and yall can vote for me; free broadband for everyone!

trawg for el presidente

hehe, el presidente, i like it