Senator Conroy needs to explain

It astounds me that after only two and a half years in government Senator Conroy has personally created two major issues that have a monumental smell about them - and which he refuses to explain with any detail. Those few thousand of us who are outside observers call this "a stuff up" of monumental proportion. Is he looking for an excuse to retire - or be sacked?

Firstly, his Internet Filter. Where is the compelling evidence supported by robust science that demonstrates the need for his Internet Filter? He refuses to provide any detail of his rationale or logic and thinks that it is OK to stonewall and bluster his way through - in an increasingly arrogant fashion. Well, all this does is reinforce the view that his scheme is a result of "shonky deals" done behind closed doors with the "religious right". Does he think it is OK to pander to the interests of "the disconnected few" which then disadvantage "the connected many"?

Secondly, his TV license rebate. According to his press release of 7th Feb - "The Government will protect Australian content on commercial television by offering licence fee rebates to broadcasters in 2010 and 2011. Licence fee rebates will be 33 per cent in 2010 and 50 per cent in 2011 to ensure that commercial broadcasters can continue to invest in new Australian content.”

And yet there is no new requirement for these broadcasters to invest in "new Australian content". This looks like a blatant attempt to "buy favour" with the commercial TV broadcasters in an election year. Surely he knows - his boss definitely knows - that trying to buy favour with the Australian right wing media is an exercise in futility. They will take the money - but they won't deliver the goods. And anyway there are better ways to get a result - that don't involve selling your soul.

If Senator Conroy was a student of political history then he would realise that his approach in these matters is a recipe for widespread electoral unrest and potential disaster for his team. But my guess is that he wouldn't appreciate the subtlety and meaning of that. He seems to be a "crash through" or "crash" kind of guy.

I don't actually know why he is doing this - and apparently neither do the other 99.99% of the population. Surely, even the dumbest and most arrogant of politicians would realise that they need to "explain themselves". But apparently not this Senator from Victoria.

PS - Senator Conroy on ABC radio Thursday morning - here. He seems to have a well polished skill for evasion and obfuscation.