Page 2771 - Week 13 - Tuesday, 21 November 1989
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MR STEVENSON (9.17): Mr Speaker, this Bill raises the question: is money our paramount concern or do we see a responsibility higher than that? The Chief Minister stated that it should be clearly understood that this Bill does not have the effect of legalising or legitimising X-rated videos. That is not the view of John Lark, and I quote from the Mature Media Group's newsletter 122:
I appreciate that this tax hits our hip pockets but it also indirectly ensures that this industry will be here for many years to come.
No government is going to abolish an industry which raises about $2m a year in revenue. A number of members have said that this Bill is about tax, and tax only. The same logic could be used on a Bill to build gas chambers. It could be said that the Bill was simply about a capital works matter. It is obviously nonsense. Mr Humphries raised the question on censorship very well. The key is not - - -
Mr Kaine: On a point of order, Mr Speaker; there are clearly other discussions going on right in the middle of the floor of this house. There must be some order, surely. Can it not be stopped?
MR SPEAKER: Thank you, Mr Kaine. Those caucusing in the Speaker's line of sight, please remove yourselves to the back caucus room if you wish to carry that on. Please proceed, Mr Stevenson.
MR STEVENSON: Mr Speaker, the question, of course, is not whether we have censorship. In our society we are not allowed to incite to terrorist acts. In Attila the Hun's camp one could not go around suggesting that Attila be dethroned. There is always - - -
Mr Whalan: He knew this from personal experience.
MR STEVENSON: Obviously, looking across the chamber, it is very easy to come up with these ideas. Obviously enough, we always have censorship. Mr Humphries also mentioned that child pornography and bestiality are not allowed. With good reason, we have censorship. In any civilised society we have censorship. After all, the Canberra Times practises this fairly frequently. In our society you cannot drive on the wrong side of the road and you cannot drive at 120 miles an hour in a residential street. So there is never a question on whether we have censorship; there is only a question on what we censor and where we draw the line.
We are talking about non-violent erotica videos. Let us have a look at what is included in this area. Some of the things, I might say, I would rather not, but it is important that what is included is known. Drinking urine is portrayed in these videos. In the video, Golden Rain, it suggests that you drink your own urine. There are others that have members of the opposite sex urinating into each
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