Page 3734 - Week 13 - Wednesday, 17 October 1990
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Pay Television
MRS NOLAN: Mr Speaker, my question is to the Deputy Chief Minister and Attorney-General and the question relates to media reports. Can the Minister advise me what the situation is in relation to media reports that pay television pornography could be transmitted throughout Australia from Canberra if Telecom decided next month to contract part of its Discovery service to pornography?
MR COLLAERY: I thank Mrs Nolan for the question.
Mrs Grassby: The only question he gets is on pornography; he is really in trouble.
MR COLLAERY: I am about to tell you what can be transmitted through television, Mrs Grassby.
MR SPEAKER: Order!
MR COLLAERY: Certainly, Senator Harradine did raise the question as to whether the Telecom Discovery contract comprised a listing of video titles available by mail order. It was suggested, I believe, by Senator Harradine that the Canberra X-rated mature video audience could be widened by this process. I am advised that access is restricted to a closed user group, for which proof of age is required. I am advised that there is no connection between Discovery, which is a Telecom service, and any proposed pay television network.
I have been further advised that a decision on the implementation of pay television is yet to be made by the Commonwealth. Current proposals envisage one operator with a four-channel system, none of which would screen restricted material, and of course it goes without saying, Mr Speaker, that it is highly unlikely that material classified with an X rating would have access to such a network. The overseas experience has shown that the most restricted category allowed on the pay television system is the R classification.
So, Mr Speaker, if we have interpreted Senator Harradine correctly, there is no basis for the suggestion that Canberra would play any such role in a pay television system, if it were to be introduced.
MR KAINE: Mr Speaker, I request that any further questions be placed on the notice paper.
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