Media Release from Chief Ministers Office
1 November 2005
SABOTAGE OF CHIEF MINISTER’S WEBSITE
Chief Minister Jon Stanhope has asked the Australian Federal Police to investigate sabotage of his website, on which the draft anti-terrorism legislation and associated pieces of legal advice had been posted.
The sabotage was first noticed this morning. Those attempting to access the site are diverted to a page reading “Fatal Error was here ohh yeahh let’s go! irc.gigachat.net #Ferrorâ€.
Mr Stanhope said he had no idea who was behind the sabotage but was deeply troubled that it had occurred at a time when interest in the draft anti-terror laws was at its public height.
“The ACT Government’s IT service provider, InTACT, is working to restore access to the site as soon as possible,†Mr Stanhope said this afternoon.
“I am keen to post a new piece of advice I have received today in relation to the latest draft of the Federal Government’s draft Bill and I want the people of the ACT and the broader Australian community to have easy access to this new contribution to the debate.
â€I have asked the Australian Federal Police to investigate this serious and most undemocratic attack on my capacity to consult and communicate with the people of Canberra.â€
UPDATE: ACT Govt IT provider, InTACT, has passed around that the hacking and redirecting of Jon Stanhope’s website yesterday has nothing to do with them as the Chief Ministers website is a political website and not a “government” website and therefore not hosted by InTACT but rather by a privately owned local ISP.