The Labor Herald launched yesterday after more than a year of spruiking and fundraising for the site. It’s not surprising that one of the first pieces published by the site is something on online piracy by the member for Chifley, Ed Husic. It is a favourite topic of the shadow parliamentary secretary to the shadow treasurer. In the article Husic slams the recently passed Copyright Amendment (Online Infringement) Bill 2015, which allows film studios and TV companies to get a court order to force internet service providers to block sites like The Pirate Bay. What a great way to appeal to the yoof and show Labor really gets it.
Husic bemoans the “legislative bureaucratic hammers” imposed by the government under the legislation and the proposed three-strikes scheme, but the piece curiously fails to note that the legislation only made it through the Senate thanks to the support of Labor. Husic told the Federation Chamber the day after the legislation passed the House of Representatives that he didn’t like it but had “lost this round” in his own party. Is the party having second thoughts about legislation it passed?
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