Page 3133 - Week 11 - Tuesday, 20 September 1994
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MS SZUTY (4.07): Madam Speaker, the Publications Control (Amendment) Bill, which establishes a classification scheme for computer games, has been anticipated by this Assembly for some time. Although the classification of computer games has been anticipated for some time, there is much happening at the moment across Australia in relation to classification issues generally.
In speaking to this Bill today, I thought it would be useful to outline, for members' information, the various processes which I understand are ongoing in relation to a number of general classification issues. It also helps place in context the particular initiatives with regard to computer games that this Publications Control (Amendment) Bill is dealing with. The first point to note is that this legislation is, at present, interim legislation. The ACT is, in fact, taking the lead at present to provide model legislation for other jurisdictions to follow. At present the classification scheme will cover material such as interactive computer or video games, games which require the player to do something in relation to the game, and static computer image-type material. This material involves the direct transfer of, for example, magazine pictures to CD-ROM format.
The Commonwealth Government has, in addition, created a task force which is in the process of examining whether classification can realistically be extended to bulletin board systems. The Commonwealth is currently preparing a final report on the matter, which could be available in the next few months. Already, my understanding is, the United States is experiencing difficulties in this area, and the FBI has established a task force to examine it. So, at present, bulletin board systems are exempt from the classification system, as also is business, accounting or educational software, unless it contains adult-type material. At present, if complaints about this type of material are received by the Chief Censor, they can be investigated, as is the case for magazines and books.
Madam Speaker, it is certainly the case that, for computer games, a void has existed for some time as regards their appropriate classification. In essence we, as legislators, are in the process of catching up with evergrowing developments with regard to various material which is available in computer game format. It is interesting to note, however, Madam Speaker, that amendments which set up the classification scheme for computer games actually came into effect on 11 April this year. This is because necessary amendments were made by the Commonwealth Parliament to the Classification of Publications Ordinance 1983 - one of the few Acts relevant to the ACT which were not passed over by the Commonwealth Government to the ACT Government at the time of self-government.
A further process which is ongoing at present is the proposed new national censorship scheme, which has been endorsed by the Standing Committee of Attorneys-General and which aims to deal with all censorship material and replace the existing cooperative scheme, which currently does not cover all States and Territories. Stage 1 of this process means debating the Commonwealth's Bill, which has recently been tabled in the Federal Parliament by the Attorney-General, entitled the Classification (Publications, Films and Computer Games) Bill 1994. Apparently, all States and
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