After being directed to this List of Questions and answers to candidates (pdf) by the Australian Christian Lobby, that was sent to all people entering in this years Federal election, I wondered what issues we as gaming/lanning community may consider worth voting on.

I don't believe any issue we face is in the same league as the issues they raise, but just the issues that may have sway over your intended vote this year assuming you hadn't made up your mind and no other issues overroad them.

And by issues I mean sensible things that if we had been more organised we could've asked of all the political candidates. Stuff like, the obvious one, would you support an R rating for Computer Games? And, Do you believe it is the parents responsibility to monitor and control their children's internet access or the responsibility of the Government?

HTML link for the pdf.

Something like that is a excellent idea for gamers.

I'm not sure I really care about a r18+ option, maybe if I felt games were being made more "soft" because no such rating existed. So far though all the games I can think of that would be rated 18+ have been rated MA15+ with some token non blood version that could easily be disabled ala duke nukem 3d.

last edited by clipto at 14:17:22 29/Sep/04

What is important to me is that John Howard f***ing dies, and the Family party go and f*** themselves

also christians/catholics/mormons i could do without

However im not a gamer, and my vote some how doesn't count because of my age. Women fort for the right to vote, now i should fight for the right for all under 18's to vote... also for the right to not vote

how f***ing bulls*** is it that you have to vote..

If you can go and cross out the paper to cancle your vote, then HOW THE f*** COME YOU GET CHARGED FOR NOT EVEN GOING AND VOTING AT ALL FFS f***ING LOOSER MOTHER f***ING RETARTED LOGIC f***ING a******S

Jerry is an angry young man...

If you can't legally vote or can't be sensible about this please f*** off to another thread.

I'm not affraid to say that I'll probably vote for howard again, because I hate latham with a passion, just as I've hated Simon Creene and Kim Beasley.

Howard is a tosser sometimes, but I think hes the best man for the job of those who are running.

Personally, I think I'd like to see Downer as prime minister, but thats not going to happen by the sound of it...

This thread isn't about which politician sucks more cock, go here for that

I don't think those points that Jerry and Mongie brought up about voting/who they are voting for have anything to do with the topic.

Anyway, it sounds like a good idea, especially since the gaming community is growing and is affected by the changes made by the government designed to give closure to parents who are too lazy to care for their children on the internet.

I would like to see somethings like, nation wide access to broadband, telstra's removal of control of the DSL networks and phone lines (Monopoly anybody?), R rating for games... when I was younger I didn't under the whole R deal, but now 18 I really understand, also having 3 younger brothers helps me understand.

I am interested in helping if we do get something formal happening. Also the removal of anybody who links to goatse.cx from Australia land and waters :D

An 18+ Rating for games, but only as a guide rather than a restriction like the M rating (obviously I believe that movies' R rating should be changed to reflect this too).

Splitting Telstra into seperate wholesale and retail divisions, with or without selling off the retail part.

Broadband capability to all homes. DSL or cable if possible, otherwise 2 way satellite.

Removal of the current (though pretty much unenforced) internet censorship laws.

Allowing proper fair use clauses in our copyright laws. Rejecting any changes to our copyright laws to "harmonize" with that of the USA thanks to the USFTA. i.e. extending copyright terms from life+50 years to life+70 years or 90 years for a work for hire or for however long is necessary to keep Mickey Mouse under copyright. In fact, they should reduce copyright protection terms to a fixed and short length. Maybe 25 years...

The rejection of any software patents including those issued overseas.

Allowing modchips and region free DVD players once and for all.

Allowing reverse engineering.

No (or very limited) restrictions on parallel importing.

That'll do for now.

the reason you are forced to vote, is so that politicians can spend more time telling you what they are about and what they stand for - rather then having to beg you and get famous people to beg you just to turn up, ie america.