[hopefully this isn't too far off topic]

George (and everyone),

Perhaps I didn't word myself too well in my last posting. By "making laws
too quickly" I meant that from what I've seen over the last couple of years,
the Govt(s) have made directives without proper consultation from the
industry/community that it affects.

We've had many of senate commitees and enquiries, most of which I found out
about the day before final submissions were due and have had to rush to make
a statement on as well as just out and out "this is how it's going to be"
(TIO comes to mind).

Whilst perhaps it is my ignorance in playing 'the politcal game' or 'the
legal game', I find it rather disturbing that the Govt makes decisions
without properly finding out what the facts are or what the community
needs/wants without getting a wide cross-section of comments from that
community.

I got a call from EFA a few months ago asking me if I'd heard about a
particular proposal that was before senate requiring ISPs/CSPs to make
tapping available to the police. I hadn't... no community comment was asked
for (perhaps none ever is, I don't know).

The long and the short of it is that the Govt changes radically very
quickly, whilst I would expect an industry oversight body (Like ADNA was
meant to be, but not as it is) would have a better understanding of the
issues at hand and be able to make effective recommendations to NOIE or
whomever to rubber-stamp it. Why the rubber-stamp? Because ultimately I
think legislation will hit hard and deep into all aspects of the Internet in
Australia and if it already has some govt approval, it is unlikely to be
tampered with.

Perhaps I am wrong, it's just the way I feel about it. The less we get our
toes stepped on from potentially unknowlegable sources, the better it is for
the industry as a whole. Unfortunately, I don't have the answer, but
hopefully we can all work toward creating one.

Regards,
Antony.

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  Antony Healey		ISOC-AU Founding Member		Ph:  +61 2 9834 6055
  General Manager					Fax: +61 2 9834 6249
  Healey Communications Australia  --  Giving you the world...
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