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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1996 Week 4 Hansard (18 April) . . Page.. 1114 ..

MS FOLLETT (continuing):

Classification decisions are to give effect, as far as possible, to the following principles:

(a) adults should be able to read, hear and see what they want;

(b) minors should be protected from material likely to harm or disturb them;

(c) everyone should be protected from exposure to unsolicited material that they find offensive;

(d) the need to take account of community concerns about:

(i) depictions that condone or incite violence, particularly sexual violence; and

(ii) the portrayal of a person in a demeaning manner.

The schedule, in a nutshell, expresses my own and my party's view on censorship. I believe that it is the view that should underpin all regulation of what is a generally held right to freedom of speech.

Mr Speaker, the new classification schedule also introduces a couple of new categories, namely, the M and MA categories, for films, computer games, publications and so on. Again I welcome this as at least a step towards trying to identify what it is that our community generally believes is harmful in material which people see or read. What is generally held to be harmful is the violence depicted in many publications and films that come out nowadays. It was previously the case that the entire debate was over X-rated material. Members should be aware that X-rated material contains no violence whatsoever, nor does it contain any depiction of sexual activities against a person's will.

I think that, finally, we have the whole debate on classification on the right track. I believe that we have some way to go in the regulation of violence in the media that people see and hear. Until our community can somehow persuade the makers of publications, films and computer games that they do not wish to purchase the right to see or to hear such violence, I think there is very little chance of that violence being diminished. It really is a case where the consumers have to express their views. I do not think it is good enough for government to keep trying to regulate these matters pretty much against the will of the community; but it is, in my opinion, that violence which must be addressed. Mr Speaker, it is not just a matter of adults viewing violence. We all know that there are many opportunities for children in our community to view violence and to copy it if they want to. The kinds of computer games that seem to be particularly popular with children often involve the children themselves in an interactive form of violence. I think that is very much to be regretted.

Mr Speaker, I do regard this as a step in the right direction. It is a very welcome step. I regard the national approach to classification as a major step forward in the practical and sensible addressing of this issue. I do believe that we still have some way to go in addressing the issue of violence as it is portrayed in various so-called

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