Campaign Update [April 30, 2010]

To register your support, or learn more about our Campaign for Censorship Reform, please visit the main Campaign Forum.

Nearly a year on from initiating our campaign, we’ve had some progress with government on our endeavours to seek amendments to the Films, Videos, and Publications Act 1993, but not nearly enough to let our campaign rest.

We made a comprehensive submission to the Minister of Internal Affairs, Hon. Nathan Guy, in October 2009, presenting the documents contained in this forum, including the feedback submitted by you, the film-loving public, together with the results of an industry survey that we also initiated.

Given the complexities of the issues, we felt that a Ministerial Inquiry into Censorship would be the most appropriate way forward. Disappointingly, yet perhaps unsurprisingly, the Minister rejected our proposal (in a letter dated 24/12/09), saying that “the Act is generally serving its purpose and a comprehensive review of the Act is not required at this time”. We understand that resources for such a review come at a premium, however we suspect that the time for a review will never eventuate, because there is not the political imperative.

Instead, the Ministry of Justice and Department of Internal Affairs are considering amendments to the Act as part of a “targeted review”. This was in response to other specific issues raised by the government authorities in the OFLC and DIA, as well as (wholesale) industry stakeholders.

Specifically, the targeted review is examining the viability of three key issues:

1. Allowing rating and classification labels to be printed directly onto (as well as affixed) to packaged media product.
2. Widening the scope of the Act to include computer games.
3. How digital content might be included in the regulatory regime.

While we support any measures that improve the relevance of the Act, the scope of the targeted review expressly excludes consideration for any of the amendments we have proposed in our campaign.

However, in a recent meeting with the team of officials who are conducting the review, they expressed to me that they were “cognisant of the issues” outlined in our campaign. We feel our concerns are least understood, and the targeted review process has at least given our concerns a practical context.

We are hopeful that the review process will yield results that necessitate a broadening of its scope, but are under no illusions that at the end of the day, what is practical will preside over what is principle.  In other words, it’s just much easier for the government to decline or defer than it is to adopt change, with its attendant unknown implications.

The team of officials have requested our feedback on the issues pertaining to the targeted review. We appreciate at least having a platform of discussion, but we need much more support from the general public to encourage law-makers to recommend more progressive changes to the Act. All we are asking for is a more even playing field.

Please register your support at the bottom of the main Campaign Forum, by simply signing “in favour of”. Thank you!

—Andrew Armitage,  April 30, 2010