THE federal opposition is alarmed at being able to access an abortion web page from parliamentary computers despite the site being listed on the government's top-secret blacklist.
Earlier this year, the addition of the web page to the blacklist managed by the Australian Communications and Media Authority made headlines when a Melbourne internet user complained to the regulator that he found the content offensive.
The authority added the site to its list of illegal, prohibited and potentially prohibited web pages.
Opposition staff were able to access the supposedly banned page through Parliament House computers.
A spokesman for Communications Minister Stephen Conroy said the Department of Parliamentary Services was responsible for decisions on the choice and application of internet filters on Parliament House computers.
Opposition communications spokesman Nick Minchin said the "response was curious" considering the minister's hardline policy on introducing a mandatory national filtering system.
Senator Minchin said having access from Parliament to web pages on ACMA's blacklist was not a good sign for the federal government's plan to censor the internet.
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