In the Sydney Morning Herald this morning, Bella Counihan suggests that the Rudd Government should “do an ETS” on the mandatory Internet filter and scrap the policy:

The Rudd government’s internet filter has always been a kind of policy duck – flapping on the surface, quacking all the right things but with lots more happening underneath in the murky waters. It seems like a repeat of just the kind of expensive and more than likely ineffective policy that will create controversy in the future for the Rudd government. However obvious to the rest of us, it looks like Labor may have not got the memo. Reports are that Communications Minister Stephen Conroy is only delaying the fight over the filter until after the election where it might be in a better position to spin it their way and have no electoral repercussions. But with the obvious problems with the policy ahead, wouldn’t it just be better to ‘‘do an ETS’’ and cut their losses?

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Conroy and Rudd can easily sit in Canberra huffing and puffing, ”we’re tough on child porn”, ”we’re tough on border protection”. Unfortunately for the majority of people that know this policy is a waste of time, that stomping in Canberra and leaving the fight until after the election might just convert a few ex-Howardites and make it worthwhile in the immediate term for the government. Until, that is, something inevitably goes wrong with a policy as flawed as this. If you’re already dumping policies, why not dump this while you can.

Read more here.