Page 1416 - Week 05 - Thursday, 13 May 1993
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Possibly one of the most important consequences of the law, which Ms Szuty referred to in her remarks, is that it will allow parents to make a more informed decision about the movies that their sons or daughters are going off with a group of mates to the cinema to see or want to hire from the local video store. The problem with the previous regime was that the category of M covered everything from Crocodile Dundee, which is a film that I think we would all agree is more than suitable for young persons to see - indeed they should see it; it is a fine film - to The Silence of the Lambs which - - -
Mr Kaine: It is a bit violent with that big knife.
MR CONNOLLY: There is a little element in there, Mr Kaine. I will not make comments about knives and sensitivity within the Liberal Party; it would be inappropriate.
The Silence of the Lambs, on the other hand, was a film that had really quite disturbing aspects of violence, an undercurrent of really quite disturbing violence. A parent making a judgment as to what movie their 14- or 13-year-old son or daughter should see really would obtain no guidance from the old M classification. While nearly everyone would agree that Crocodile Dundee is an appropriate film for a 13-year-old to see, I think most of us would take the view that The Silence of the Lambs is an inappropriate film. This is essentially legislation being passed around Australia to give that guidance to parents.
It is intended that the Commonwealth censorship authorities who will have responsibility for the classification of films and videos under this new regime will be preparing some educational and promotional material which we will start to see in the coming months as every parliament comes into line and passes this legislation. When we have this scheme operating nationally we will start to see advertisements. Mr Humphries was concerned that some cinema owners and operators were not fully across the scheme. They soon will be across it as this material starts to flow to them from the censorship authorities, much as they are currently being given advice on the M, PGR and R ratings. So there will be a promotional campaign that will follow this legislation in order to ensure that everyone understands it.
Mr Humphries's criticism is that it is not a watertight piece of legislation; that it could be evaded; that he could masquerade as Mr Moore, or Mr Moore could masquerade as him, to obtain entry. That sort of thing certainly can happen. Indeed, we almost would have to say that kids will be sneaking into these movies. As Ms Szuty said, perhaps for a 14-year-old there would be no way of making a film more attractive than to say, "You cannot legally see it until you are 15". It would encourage them to try to see it in a covert manner. But at least we are sending an important signal to parents and families. It does mean that parents can have that little bit more control over what their young people are watching, because by seeing the MA classification they will understand that it is a film that contains an unacceptable level of violence or references of a sexual nature; but essentially this is directed at the violent films. That allows a little bit more control in the family as to what materials young people are being exposed to. Nobody pretends that this will change the behaviour of young people overnight; but it is a step in the right direction, it is a step back from the increasing glorification of violence within our community and it is a scheme which, when it begins to operate at a national level, will bring some benefits to us.
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