Sign an e-petition
The first thing I must do is sign an e-petition. I signed an e-petition about decriminalising abortion in Queensland. This petition currently has 582 signatures and closes on the 23rd of October. On the left is the confirmation of my signature <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< class="Apple-style-span" color="#3333ff">http://www.parliament.qld.gov.au/view/EPetitions_QLD/Default.aspx?LIndex=0
Respond to a Professional Blogger at a News Site
The next thing I must do is respond to a professional blogger at a news site. I went to www.news.com.au and found many professional bloggers I can respond to. Evan Maloney is a screenwriter who attempts to understand the issues of the world. He has a blog about the 80's video dating montage on youtube that shows a series of real dating videos posted by men. He contemplates whether it is real or fake. I responded by saying my favourite 80's hunk was the one that says "As you may have noticed I have incredibly blue eyes." This video highlights the blurring of the lines between audience recognition between what is real and what is fake on the internet and how easily they can be tricked.
Local, State and Federal Representatives
My next task is to find out who my local state and federal representatives are.
The member for Southport is Peter Lawlor. To find out more about him, click here
Source: http://www.peterlawlor.com.au/southport/pages/posts/Active-Communities-Project. The local representative for Parkwood is Councillor Dawn Crichlow.
Source:http://www.goldcoast.qld.gov.au/image_content/councillors/councillor_crichlow_large.jpgThe member for the state is Anna Bligh. Her official website is http://www.thepremier.qld.gov.au/. The state representative is Peter Lawlor.
Source: http://www.vision6.com.au/download/files/11523/791291/New%20Picture.jpg
The federal is prime minister Kevin Rudd. His official website is http://www.pm.gov.au//. The federal representative for Gold Coast is Hon. Ronald Boswell.
Last Time The Local Representative Spoke in Parliament
The next thing I did was search for the last time Peter Lawlor spoke in parliament. I searched the Queensland Hansard but didn't find anything in particular on Peter Lawlor. The website for the Queensland Hansard is http://parlinfo.parliament.qld.gov.au/ISYSHanSimp.htm. I found it much easier to find his speeches on his official webs
ite. The last time he spoke in parliament was on the 22nd of September and was about how the Queensland tourism industry is suffering from the current economic climate. The speech is basically public relations spin to promote the Labor government positively. The internet is integral to the government getting their message across to the general public, and consequently, the public is better informed about the government and democracy. I managed to contact Peter through his website to tell him that it is good to focus on the tourism environment but asked him if the costs involved in the advertising campaign will be paid back from visitor expenditure and whether Queenslander's money is going to the right place. This is the contact form for Peter, if you would like to contact him about labor policy.
What is Barack Obama doing on this day? 
On this day, 23rd of September 2009, Barack Obama did his first speech at the United Nations about working globally to solve the issues of the world including the recession and global warming. You can access a news article on this http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/top-stories/2009/09/24/president-barack-obama-s-plea-we-must-all-save-the-world-115875-21696417/
The Australian Government's Plans to Censor the Internet: The Clean Feed
I believe that the government's plans to censor the internet will be a waste of taxpayer money that could be put to better uses in this economic climate. The government places a high importance on modernising broadband within Australia, but this move can only serve to slow our internet connection and increase prices for home broadband. Many Australian households are diverse with different needs, so implementing only one approach to censorship will not meet the needs of the Australian public as a whole. Perhaps the money would be better spent on educating parents about the dangers of the internet and what they can do to better protect thier children. Censoring the internet will also go against the ideals of representative demoncracy i.e free speech. Granted, there are things that a general consesus will agree should be banned but ideals will always differ between individuals and who is to say what is right and what is wrong. If we go too far then the very core of representative democracy will be challenged in a country where these ideals are what make this country such a good place to live in. In the paper, parents were cracking up at a school because they hadn't banned a Libra website, made specifically to help young girls. How far will we go before everything we stand for fades away?
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