Suddenly emigrating to Australia doesn't seem quite so attractive

[Stantz]

<rant>

Spent a month in Oz back in 2002 for our honeymoon and loved it. Laid back, friendly, cheap (everything was about a third of the price it is in the UK). Of course as soon as we touched down at Heathrow at 10.30pm in the middle of a thunderstorm, we decided to look into upping sticks and moving out there permanantly. It's tricky, and you're basically buggered if you've got a criminal record (I don't, but still - fucking hypocrites) or if you're unskilled or skint.

However, the government down under is harking back to the dark ages faster then David Cameron.

First off, the founder of Wikileaks has had his passport confiscated. Of course this is nothing to do with Wikileaks publishing a list of websites that the Oz govt were going to ban, under the pretence of protecting its citizens from the merciless onslaught of internet child pornography.

Content, Pictures  and Download links visible to registered users only. 

REGISTER NOW to access all areas that are invisible to non-members.

Also, and contained within this rampant ignorance, is that they'll also be banning ANY pornographic or erotic material that features women with small breasts. Of course, this is because any woman with tiny tits could easily be mistaken for a naked child.



Also, on Jan 15th this year, and with nary a warning, "businesses will face fines of up to $5000 for displaying a "poster, pamphlet or other printed material" for films classified R18+" in southern Australia

That means copies of Mad Max, Fight Club, even that piece of crap 'Bruno' would have to be stocked with nothing but the title on the cover. Meaning if you've never seen the flick before, you won't have a clue what you're getting.

On another note, it is now legal for their Customs to search any electrical storage device (Laptop, Mobile phone) for images that are indecent under Australian law, without reason or justification. If you're a shifty-looking bloke, you're fucked, basically.

</rant>