Page 4690 - Week 16 - Wednesday, 28 November 1990
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Let us establish just what X-rated videos are. They are commonly referred to, by people who profit from pornography, as non-violent erotica - a term which is both inaccurate and misleading. The Macquarie National Dictionary contains the following definitions: "Erotica ... literature or art dealing with sexual love"; "pornography ... obscene literature, art, or photography, designed to excite sexual desire", and "obscene ... offensive to modesty or decency; indecent; inciting to lust or sexual depravity; lewd ... ". Key terms in these definitions are "sexual love" and "sexual desire".
X-rated videos are not about love or affection; they are obscene publications about lust and raw sexual desire. X-rated videos are not erotic; they are pornographic. Some which are legally available in Canberra plumb the depths of depravity and perversity with subjects such as urination and defecation as their central themes. Others, by their titles and contents, infer incest, child participation and adultery. These products are banned in the Australian States because they are offensive to decency and because of the harmful effects that they produce.
The evidence that pornography can lead to rape, child abuse and other sex offences has been shown. The extent of this effect is impossible to determine, but psychologists have established a link between pornography and criminal sexual acts. There is absolutely no evidence to suggest that the withdrawal of pornography will incite crime - - -
MR SPEAKER: Order! Mr Stevenson, I am having problems with this Bill of yours. I am looking at standing order 136, which is about a Bill or a motion of the same substance as any question that has been resolved in the previous calendar year. Quickly scanning the Bills, I cannot see any difference between the Bill that you have already presented to this Assembly this year and this one. Is there a substantial difference?
MR STEVENSON: Yes, indeed there is, Mr Speaker. Four clauses have been deleted and two have been added.
MR SPEAKER: Are those extra two substantially different?
MR STEVENSON: There are differences. The four that were deleted are substantially different. They affect the whole way in which the Bill is seen to operate and the effects that it would have.
MR SPEAKER: Please proceed with your speech on this matter; but I would ask you to bear that in mind when you present this Bill, to make it obvious to me that you are not breaching standing order 136.
MR STEVENSON: There is absolutely no evidence to suggest that the withdrawal of pornography will incite crime; therefore, this Bill will bring about a reduction in the incidence of rape and other sex offences.
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