Senator Alston also stated that we approve of offensive material being forced on children and adults and that we are the cause of a problem the Internet Industry Association and the Government have in negotiating a code of practice. All these allegations are unsubstantiated and false. The Senator's remarks impugn our individual good characters, reputations and credentials, and those of the thousands of members and supporters of the organisation we represent. In addition, the Senator's remarks are factually incorrect, and we seek this opportunity to set the record straight. The majority of EFA Board members completed degrees in fields including law, education, science, engineering and economics more than ten years ago.
None are undergraduates.
Three-quarters are over the age of forty. All have been active users of the Internet for at least the last five years, and several are professionally involved in managing Internet services. Members of the Board and staff of EFA include responsible parents with a total of 10 children between them ranging in age from 1 year to 27 years. This was compiled by EFA in 1996, long before any government agencies developed an interest in assisting parents. Our concern is for the future of Australia's children and grandchildren - that we as a society not bequeath them with a censorship system that would be a totalitarian regime's dream, enabling the suppression of any dissenting voices on the Internet.