Page 1257 - Week 05 - Tuesday, 24 April 1990
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MR STEFANIAK (9.56): I rise, to the accompaniment of what appears to be a folk band or a country and western band in the background, to talk on this issue. A number of members have spoken so far on this issue, including two members from my party, the Liberal Party. Firstly, I point out, in relation to what Mr Moore said, one thing which I think should be quite clear to members of the public and to all members present, and that is that the Family Team was not the only party which went to the local Assembly elections last year with a policy of banning X-rated videos - it may have got 3 per cent - the Liberal Party did also.
Mr Duby: They got 13.
MR STEFANIAK: We got a lot more than 3 per cent - more than your party, Mr Duby. The police and justice policy of the Liberal Party stated:
The ACT Liberal Party believes that the sale, distribution and exhibition of X-rated and excessively violent material in the ACT is undesirable.
Consequently, a future ACT Liberal administration will bring the ACT into line with all States by banning the sale, distribution and exhibition of X-rated video and film material in the ACT, and will review the film and video classifications so that excessively violent material is banned.
That was the position taken by the Liberal Party at the last local election. It has been our position locally since 1988; it is still Liberal Party police and justice policy, and as such the four Liberal members of this Assembly will be voting in favour at the in-principle stage of Mr Stevenson's Bill to ban X-rated videos.
In relation to this, I think it is also important to put a number of other points. Firstly, in a kit that was circulated to members of this Assembly late last year was a document in relation to X-rated classifications which referred to the meeting at Darwin on 30 June 1988 and the decision taken by the standing committee of Ministers concerned with censorship matters. That document, at the relevant part, stated:
All States expressed opposition to the introduction of the new 'Non Violent Erotica' category as discussed by the Joint Select Committee in its recommendations. They also indicated that the present 'X' classification would not be reintroduced to the States. The Federal Attorney-General indicated that he would take the matter back to the Government for consideration and the future of 'X' rated material in the Australian Capital Territory would depend upon what the Government decides.
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