Page 2738 - Week 13 - Tuesday, 21 November 1989
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .
revolting or abhorrent phenomena in a manner that is likely to cause offence to a reasonable adult person. We are going to profit from that, Mr Speaker. This is from a government, two of whose members believe that trade with and making money from the South African regime is repugnant. I think they need to get their priorities right.
I say to the Chief Minister - and I note she is not here to listen to this - that her mishandling of, or perhaps her failure to handle, this Territory's economy is a matter of concern and regret, but in her desperate attempt to obtain additional revenue she has gone beyond any electoral mandate that she may reasonably claim to raise funds through a franchise on flesh. That she proposes to do so, making a mockery of her party's policy of social justice and her personal commitment to promoting the cause of women, is sad evidence of the lengths to which this financially strapped Labor Government will go to find money and thus, Labor hopes, to stay in power.
Mr Speaker, this community finds it totally unacceptable to legalise video pornography. I believe it finds it equally unacceptable and repugnant to legitimise it by institutionalising it as a legitimate source of tax revenues. No State has done so; we cannot either. The Liberal Party opposes the Bill and will vote accordingly.
MR SPEAKER: Mr Kaine, you sought leave to incorporate two documents. Would you identify them.
MR KAINE: I also seek leave to incorporate in Hansard a two-page summary of research done on this question by researchers in Canada.
Leave granted.
Document incorporated at appendix 2.
MR KAINE: I seek leave to incorporate a letter to all parliamentarians from the Shop, Distributive and Allied Employees Association, dated 3 November 1988.
Leave granted.
Document incorporated at appendix 3.
MR MOORE (4.25): I intend to argue that members of this Assembly, whether they are opposed to X-rated videos or take a laissez-faire attitude, have good reason to combine forces and support this Bill. Let us be clear about one thing: this Bill is about tax and nothing more than tax. It is not about morality. It is not about the role of erotica in our society or about suspicions or fears some people have that the material subject to this proposed tax is corrupting, dangerous or degrading.
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .