5 Times Government Politicians Making Laws About The Internet Demonstrated That They Don't Understand The Internet

    It's a series of tubes, basically.

    Casey Briggs
    by Casey Briggs

    BuzzFeed Contributor

    We generally expect the government to know what they're talking about when they make laws. So why is that not the case for technology and the internet?

    Buckle up and get your palm ready to catch your face.

    Here are five examples of government members key to technology and security legislation, not knowing what they're talking about.

    1. George Brandis on metadata

    Buzzfeed

    Let's start with a classic. Here's George Brandis, current Attorney General, shown here performing in his one man show funded through the National Program for Excellence in the Arts.

    Brandis was interviewed by David Speers on Sky News about metadata legislation, and oh boy did he talk some gibberish:

    View this video on YouTube
    youtube.com

    Let's just let that sink in a little deeper. Here, read this actual thing George Brandis actually said:

    What people are viewing on the internet when they web surf is not going to be caught. What will be caught is the web address they communicate to.

    In other news, I'm having a party this weekend, but I'm not telling you where I live. I'll just give you my address

    2. Phillip Ruddock on Skype

    Via Buzzfeed

    This is Phillip Ruddock. He's the "Father of the House" (that means he's been a member of the lower house in parliament longer than anyone else).

    He was the Attorney-General in the Howard Government, and now he's a member of the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security -- that's the committee that reviews our intelligence agencies and legislation to do with national security.

    Which is why it's so extraordinary that in a committee inquiry analysing data retention legislation, he said this:

    Claire Reilly @reillystyley

    Ruddock: "Skype. That's a telephone that you use on a computer." And he mimed a telephone. #dataretention

    Reply Retweet Favorite

    HE MIMED A TELEPHONE.

    Thanks for helping us understand what a telephone is, but that's not really the problem here.

    3. Tony Abbott on computer literacy

    Buzzfeed

    Prime Minister Tony Abbott knows what kids need, and it's not the problem solving skills that you learn from coding apparently.

    In response to a question from Bill Shorten during parliament question time, he said this:

    Let's just understand exactly what the Leader of the Opposition has asked. He said that he wants primary school kids to be taught coding so they can get the jobs of the future. Does he want to send them all out to work at the age of 11? Is that what he wants to do? Seriously? Seriously?

    I can picture it now: "Alright kids, now that you've finishing coding class, get on the bus, we're sending you to Silicon Valley. Have fun at your new startup!"

    4. Philip Ruddock on Wi-Fi

    Buzzfeed

    Oh hello, it's Philip Ruddock again.

    This time he has something to say about Wi-Fi:

    Casey Briggs @CaseyBriggs

    Philip Ruddock LITERALLY SAID: "The only thing I know about Wi-Fi is that you try and find out in a hotel if you can get Wi-Fi." #auspol

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    The only thing? Really?

    5. Tony Abbott isn't a tech head

    Buzzfeed

    Finally, while he was opposition leader Tony Abbott had a hard time selling his NBN policy, at one point telling Kerry O'Brien on the 7.30 Report that:

    I'm no Bill Gates here and I don't claim to be any kind of tech head

    Let's just be clear here. No one is expecting the Prime Minister to be Bill Gates. We do expect them to understand the basics of a policy that costs billions and billions of dollars.

    Why is it seen to be a badge of honour to be bad with technology? We deserve better than this.