Page 2789 - Week 13 - Tuesday, 21 November 1989
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Petitions, the phone-ins and the clip-out coupons in newspapers might claim otherwise, but the latest reliable evidence from the Roy Morgan Research Centre suggests that most adult Australians feel that the sale and hire of X-rated videos should be allowed, with the biggest nod coming from Canberrans.
Those pushing for a legal ban on non-violent erotica in Canberra, besides going against majority opinion, will probably not achieve what they set out to do. The industry will go underground and will become out of control. At present the vast majority of the trade of the adult video industry is in X-rated videos. This is important. At least the videos have been rated, which means that they contain non-violent erotica and do not contain child pornography, explicit sexual violence or snuff movies. This is a tax Bill.
MS MAHER (10.17): Mr Speaker, this is a debate which I was very tempted to slot into the too-hard basket, to be quite honest. I found myself having to dig deeper and deeper, trying to find a balance between my own subjective, personal opinions and a more objective, fully informed opinion. Fighting against my preconceived personal beliefs to strike a well informed, objective balance has been a dilemma for me.
I must admit my experience in viewing X-rated video material is very limited, but from the little I have seen, read and heard I have formed some general opinions on X-rated videos. My initial reaction was one of dismay, knowing I would have to vote on such a controversial issue. As the mother of an 11-year-old son, I am very aware of the potential effects video and television viewing can have on a child, and personally I have taken steps at home to ensure that my son is not exposed to material I deem not suitable for him.
But we are not here today to debate the issue of censorship. We are here to debate the Business Franchise ("X" Videos) Bill and its companion, the Taxation (Administration) (Amendment) Bill.
The cold, hard fact remains, that X-rated videos are legally available through both wholesale and retail networks in the ACT and through the many hire outlets throughout the ACT. This legality has been bestowed by the Federal Government. Moral debates, with the intent of altering censorship provisions, are best directed to the Federal Parliament. X-rated videos are here in Canberra until the Federal Government proscribes them. We do not have the right to effect such a proscription and send X-rated videos underground once and for all.
So let us distance ourselves from the misplaced moral argument and look at the business franchise Bill objectively for what it is: draft legislation which aims to tax the sale of X-rated videos and license the premises of distributors.
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