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House of Assembly - Fifty-First Parliament, Third Session (51-3)
2009-03-25 Daily Xml
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COMPUTER GAME CLASSIFICATION

Mr KENYON (Newland) (15:31): My question is to the Attorney-General. Can the Attorney-General explain to the house the merits of a petition that he was handed today on the steps of Parliament House?

The Hon. M.J. ATKINSON (Croydon—Attorney-General, Minister for Justice, Minister for Multicultural Affairs, Minister for Veterans' Affairs) (15:32): I can. I have become a pin-up boy for the R18+ computer game classification movement—a pin-up boy with concentric circles on the poster.

Mrs Redmond interjecting:

The Hon. M.J. ATKINSON: That's right; the member for Heysen is right. When the media want opposition to a new R18+ category for interactive games, I am their man. This makes me a target for some gamers to vent their frustrations. Gamers write to me about why they want to play R18+ games so badly; how I am the only person standing in their way. Some have become aggressive and colourful. Emailer Rob Nobel has told me that I am a complete tool.

Members interjecting:

The Hon. M.J. ATKINSON: Wait for it. Graeme Davies writes to me with the salutation, 'Dear Jerk', and he says he kind of hates and pities me at the same time, concluding he mainly hates me. 'da_bomb2003' says I am a gold-medal winning imbecile, a true Nazi, a true coward, among other things. Comments on internet sites criticise my parenting because I raise concerns about my own children playing violent games. I am described as an idiot because my point of view is different from R18+ proponents. I have been sworn at, threatened, harangued and poked fun at because of my stance.

One internet site included comment from blogger Demonata: 'Our only hope is if someone assassinates that [expletive]-head Michael Atkinson.' Another poster, NQGeo, suggested if I were assassinated this might hurt their cause because the killer may have played violent computer games and 'further draconian censorship of our favourite media' would eventuate.

Another site included a topic 'Michael Atkinson explains how clueless and [expletive] in the head he is.' Blogger Pirate described me as 'that scum-sucking [expletive]', amongst other colourful expletives. I have attracted many other critics.

My opposition has also made threats of vandalism. Not long ago, working late in my office, I heard a whoosh under my door and there, just like the old movies, was a message comprising letters cut out of magazine headlines and assembled on the page one by one, and it read:

Hey old man Atkinson! This act of vandalism is an expression of frustration of gamers who believe R18 rating is long overdue. Seriously who the [expletive] are you to tell us what we can play!!

Well, Mr Speaker, I swung open the front door of my office and saw no-one—another phantom attack with no-one to stand up for their views, just like the anonymous emailers hiding behind their avatars. One can only assume that the person who delivered the note fled, surprised at my presence in the office so late. Thankfully, I do not know how their rage was going to be acted out.

Last year, as the member for Heysen noted, an erotic magazine reported that I was one of Australia's most hated people.

Mrs Redmond: Six most hated.

The Hon. M.J. ATKINSON: Six most hated, thank you. I was one of the six most hated because I blocked the R18+ classification. I was deemed much more annoying than Radovan Karadzic, who was much further down the list. Earlier this year, the same magazine included me in their article 'UnAustralian of the Year 2009' for banning video games but not the Nazi flag.

My position on R18+ games is simple: they do not belong in Australian homes where children can access them. People tell me to let parents parent. They say it should not be my job to decide what they can play, that restricting R18+ games is unjustified censorship, that we live in a democracy and violent games already exist in MA15+ so why stop R18+ games? Violence in MA15+ games is already accessible to children, and it worries me. My own children play these games and they are sometimes enthralled by the electronic game as they shoot, maim and destroy on the screen, all to the background thump of machine noise passing for music.

This is not a sound reason to let more extreme games on the market. A recent discussion I had with visiting American Professor Craig Anderson about his research confirmed for me that repeating these virtual actions is likely to have strong impacts on children and adults. I encourage people to read his research and consider his findings. His research may be more enlightening than industry-funded polling and research about the impact of computer games.

The other arguments about censorship and democracy are flawed. We cannot allow all and every type of material to be available to the public—child abuse images, for instance. In Australia we are a tolerant lot, but there is a public barometer of what is and what is not acceptable. It is up to governments to monitor and enforce this and apply appropriate standards.

I urge members to get onto the internet and google Narc (short for 'narcotic'), or Grand Theft Auto III (not the Australian version), Soldier of Fortune: Payback, or Dark Sector. Read about what is in these games, look at the image, and think about their interactive quality. Then decide whether these are things that you really think should be sold in our state.

I am told that I offend democracy by my stand and that I am the one person in Australia who is stopping R18+ games. A blogger even suggested I be booted out by the Governor-General because this is a blatant case of abuse of power.

The Hon. I.F. Evans: Gough Mark II.

The Hon. M.J. ATKINSON: Yes, quite. Obviously that blogger comes from the Sandra Kanck-John Kerr school of constitutional law.

I stand here as the elected member for Croydon, as Attorney-General, because I have the confidence of a majority of members of the house. I sit on the national ministerial group that makes regulatory decisions about classifications, a group that allows one minister to veto changes to the classification system. I do not support R18+ computer games nor have I been personally approached by any member of this house who has said, 'We need R18+ games in Australia, and you should support this.' If any members opposite want to approach me, I will be available after question time.

This is democracy in action. As it happens, other attorneys-general support my position but are happy for me to be the lightning rod for the R18+ gamers. As the next Standing Committee of Attorneys-General approaches, the pressure for me to change my mind on R18+ games will continue.

Last year, SCAG was presented with a discussion paper to seek public opinion on the issue. I did not support that paper because its authors sought to suppress images of games rated above MA15+. However, I support canvassing views, and I intend to take my own version of the paper to SCAG in April. Then the internet ghosts can contribute to the debate on the discussion paper, and, I hope, be brave enough to put their real names and addresses to their submissions.

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