Page 2264 - Week 08 - Thursday, 7 June 1990
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must be aware that, if they want X-rated videos banned, Mr Collaery can do it at the stroke of a pen. In fact, at a stroke of a pen he has allowed X-rated material in Canberra. Now, we have no quarrel with that on the view of the availability of X-rated videos, but the people of Canberra must understand that it is not the Assembly's rejection of the Stevenson Bill that allows material in; the Assembly has now passed this Publications Control (Amendment) Act, which clearly provides that it is an offence to publish the material otherwise than on premises in prescribed areas. An area can be prescribed at a stroke of Mr Collaery's pen, as Attorney-General, by making regulations. An area can be unprescribed at a stroke of Mr Collaery's pen, by repealing those regulations.
The Government members who piously stand here and say they would if they could - if only they could - ban X-rated materials but they cannot because the Assembly as a whole has voted against it, can no longer say that. Government members can no longer hide behind the Assembly's rejection of the original Stevenson motion. They have got to stand up and be counted.
Mr Duby: Mr Collaery has never said he would vote to ban X-rated videos.
MR CONNOLLY: No, he has not. As I said before, I can quite admire Mr Collaery's stance. I agree with it. Mr Collaery takes a view on civil liberties on this issue that I would not quarrel with, and Mr Collaery, in implementing that, presumably by the piece of paper he is showing to the Assembly, has in fact signed the regulations to allow X-rated material to continue to be available in prescribed areas. We do not query that.
You people in the Government party room have got the ball firmly in your court. If you say you want to ban material, if you say, Mr Jensen, that you have a conscience vote in the Rally on this issue, then take a vote in the party room and propose whoever over there wants to be the champion of the anti-X-rated video material. Perhaps it will be Mr Stefaniak, who has made public comments on what Liberal policy is on this; perhaps it will be Mr Kaine, who has so clearly and in such inflammatory terms condemned "loot for lust" and expressed his regret that he is unable to do anything about it, that his hand is tied, that all he can do is salvage the best possible result from the fact that the Assembly has not chosen to ban material.
You will have to revise your opinions. You have got the power in the Government party room to change that decision. You have got the power in the Government party room to direct Mr Collaery, if you say you do not agree with him. After all, there are only three of you who agree. Only two of you agreed with Mr Collaery on the Stevenson Bill. Only two of you support Mr Collaery's views on that.
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