The Greens announced their opposition to filtering (or close to it) this morning and now the Liberals Shadow Comms Minister Nick Minchin has issued a press release labeling the Government’s plan as misguided and deeply unpopular. It reads:

Senator Minchin said nobody of decency disagreed about the importance of working to ensure the online world is safe. “The Opposition firmly believes that adult supervision, supported by optional user-end filters, effective law enforcement and education should be front and centre of any efforts to keep children safe online,” he said. “In relation to criminal conduct online, our nation’s law enforcement bodies must be adequately resourced to monitor and investigate unlawful activity. “There is no technical substitute for appropriate adult supervision when it comes to keeping our children safe online and most parents and teachers take that responsibility very seriously and any suggestions to the contrary are patronising and offensive,” Senator Minchin said.

Minchin also asks what will happen if adequate numbers of Internet users cannot be roped into the live pilot on a voluntary basis. Will the trial become mandatory or will it be implemented without proper testing? He calls on the Gov to re-think its plan to stop providing Australians with free pc-based filters at the end of 2008.

It’s good news, but don’t get excited just yet. No party position is set in stone and Labor continues to push the plan hard. The result could still swing either way and if the IIA were to cooperate with the Government, filtering may be introduced without legislative changes according to former EFA Chair Dale Clapperton.

We’ve got a hell of a lot of work left to do in order to stop net censorship being forced upon Australians and our opposition must only get stronger. Explain the plan to friends who don’t know, write your MP, outline your concerns, and show your support if they are from the Greens or Liberal party. Keep up the hard work — It’s paying off.