This is the same guy that has proposed the internet filter in Australia and is attempting to legislate much tougher regulations on how web companies do business here than the rest of the world.

It's really worrying that someone who has this kind of power doesn't understand the basics of how data is transmitted securely online. By his logic couldn't any intermediary router on the internet read your banking details?

Yes, by his logic they could. Yes, it's worrying that he doesn't understand security. Clearly he doesn't know he doesn't understand, or doesn't have advisors that do.

It won't get better unless technically capable people write to the media, creating the story that the media want to run, that the minister in question is incompetant. If the media smell blood they will run the story. If it's based on dispassionate facts about how it really works, incompetents like him will be left to wreak havoc unimpeded.

Unfortunately, most technically capable people would rather display their superior knowledge by bitching in blogs and wittering on twitter. That won't change things.