Victorians are being encouraged to have their say on cybersafety by The Nationals Senator for Victoria, Bridget McKenzie.
Senator McKenzie said the Coalition Online Safety Working Group was holding a series of forums across Australia and calling for written submissions as part of a review of online safety for children.
“A recent Telstra survey found 4 out of 5 Australian students go to school with an internet-enabled device,” Senator McKenzie said.
“There’s no doubt that the internet has become an important education and communication tool but there can be issues around privacy, cyberbullying and access to inappropriate material.”
Senator McKenzie said the Coalition was committed to helping parents, carers, teachers and young people deal with online risks.
“As a parent and former secondary school teacher and lecturer, I understand the need to strike the right balance between freedom and safety.
“Young people need to be empowered to protect themselves through use of appropriate safeguards, encouraged to act responsibly online and enabled to report any suspicious activities.
“The Coalition is keen to hear about some of the fantastic initiatives already underway in schools throughout Victoria and get feedback about the kinds of supports that would help families manage the risks.”
Today Senator McKenzie has joined fellow working group members at a roundtable with IT experts in Sydney and earlier this week met with students, teachers and parents in Perth. The working group will hold a forum in Melbourne next Thursday (5 April 2012) and return to Victoria on 17 May for a regional forum in Bendigo.
Anyone wishing to make a written submission to the Working Group can contact Senator McKenzie’s electorate office on 1300 889 103 or email senator.mckenzie@aph.gov.au for details.
To find out more about the Coalition Online Safety Working Group, visit www.facebook.com/CoalitionOSWG.