Page 3787 - Week 13 - Wednesday, 16 October 1991
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that the community could not possibly condone this activity below the age of 12 years. Some elements, however, may believe that there are social implications of further criminalising conduct in the context of continuing relationships between young adults and children above the age of 12 years.
There are, of course, other provisions of the Crimes Act - apart from this proposed amendment - that deal with these issues. Nevertheless, so far as this amendment is concerned, we are in the hands of the house and, if the will of the Assembly is to increase the age to 14 years, then we will certainly accept that amendment, although we do not put it forward at this stage prior to community exposure to this Bill. Mr Speaker, I commend the Bill to the house.
Debate (on motion by Mr Connolly) adjourned.
CRIMES (AMENDMENT) BILL (NO. 4) 1991
MR COLLAERY (11.21): Mr Speaker, I present the Crimes (Amendment) Bill (No. 4) 1991. I move:
That this Bill be agreed to in principle.
Mr Speaker, in its recent report tabled in the Commonwealth Parliament by the Federal Attorney-General, Mr Duffy, on 11 September 1991, the Australian Law Reform Commission has provided Australians with a detailed report on censorship procedures. Among other things, the commission made clear that child pornography, which is already banned and which under the ACT legislation cannot be published, should be subjected to further legal controls.
In particular, the mere possession of the material should be an offence. We should all agree with that proposition. The mere existence of the cinematographic video or photographic reproduction of child pornography represents abuse in itself, and those who possess it aid and abet it. They cannot easily be brought to justice since, as I said, much of this material emanates in clandestine circuits.
Police data reveals that paedophiles commonly collect child pornography of the type which is banned. Networks exist in this country, with exchange of information, facilitating access and swapping. The range of magazines and underground code contacting is astounding. I am not going to compromise current police intelligence by revealing it all; but, at a superficial level, one can join a club at the moment by answering an advertisement in a well-known magazine. One would be given a confidential code number which could be used in correspondence to enable the placing of advertisements in the newsletter, which is used, at the second level, as a method of contact between paedophiles.
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