CLASSIFICATION (PUBLICATIONS, FILMS AND COMPUTER GAMES) (R 18+ FILMS) AMENDMENT BILL

Second Reading

Adjourned debate on second reading.

(Continued from 15 July 2009. Page 2910.)

The Hon. B.V. FINNIGAN (17:22): I indicated to honourable members on a previous occasion that the government is happy to let this bill go through on the voices and reserve its position in regard to the lower house. The government does see some merit in what is being proposed but wants to further examine some of the technical details in respect of how it would be achieved, enforcement issues, and red tape compliance-related matters. The government will continue to look at those matters before the bill is transmitted to the House of Assembly for consideration. At this stage it will not oppose the bill and will allow it to go through without division; however, the government does reserve its position in relation to supporting the bill, or any amendments thereto, in the lower house.

The Hon. D.G.E. HOOD (17:23): I understand that the bill will go through on the voices, if members are in agreement. I would like to quickly clarify exactly what the bill does as well as thank a couple of people. I think members are familiar with the bill, so I will not go into great detail, but, essentially, it does two things. First, it requires that adult videos—that is, highly explicit videos—in video stores, or places that sell or hire videos or DVDs, be kept in a separate area to non-adult (if you like) videos, and people have indicated to me that that seems to be a sensible idea. It also prohibits those types of explicit videos being played as trailers or promotional items, or being displayed as promotional items, within that same store.

I believe I outlined the many reasons for this bill in my second reading explanation but, essentially, it is my firm view that children should not be exposed to these things—under any circumstances really, but it is sometimes difficult for parents to avoid these things when they go into a video store. As a parent of a young child myself, it stood out to me as something that needed to be addressed. Hence the bill we have before us today.

I would like to quickly thank a few people, particularly the Attorney-General. I met with him to discuss this bill, and I must say that he was very cooperative and seemed genuinely interested in doing whatever could be done to facilitate its passage. I am grateful to him for that. I understand that the reality is that there are no votes in it for the government in letting minor party bills pass through the parliament, but it is a credit to him, and to those supporting him on this occasion, that he has done so. I would like to express Family First's thanks for that.

I would also like to thank the opposition, whose members have also been very cooperative on this issue. Some weeks ago the Hon. Mr Wade spoke on the bill and indicated opposition support, and Family First is very grateful for that as well. The opposition put a solid case forward and we are in sound agreement with it. I would also like to thank the Hon. Mr Finnigan for his contribution this evening.

Some people who have asked about the need for this bill have also asked whether video stores do not do this anyway. The truth is that some of them do. In fact, I wrote to all the major video chains in preparation for this bill, and I have an email here that I received from Mr. Rod Laycock, the general manager of Civic Video across Australia. I will not read it out, but in it Mr Laycock says that it is already the policy of his chain to have a separate area for adult videos, so there would certainly be no objection from that company should this become law. The point is that not all video stores do it, although I hasten to add that I have had no objections from the industry at all, despite writing to all the major and even some of the minor players seeking their input. With those few words, I look forward to the passage of the bill.

Bill read a second time and taken through its remaining stages.