[LINK] Victoria balks at R+18 games rating, classification swamped

[John Hilvert]

Though Constitutionally iffy, the odds are shortening on a Federal
Government take-over of the classification of all things digital relying on
treaty, trade and commerce and telecommunications powers.

Unless the recalcitrant States/Territories yield, I think it will be clearer
at the next SCAG meeting http://www.scag.gov.au/ scheduled auspiciously on
21 & 22 July 2011 in Adelaide, South Australia.

On Sun, Apr 3, 2011 at 9:13 AM, Jan Whitaker <jwhit at janwhitaker.com> wrote:

> [what happens when the pendulum swings back]
>
> "LONG-AWAITED reforms of Australia's censorship of computer games
> look set to fail after Victoria declared its strong concern that the
> move will legalise games with ''high levels of graphic, frequent and
> gratuitous violence''.
>
> Backed by a groundswell of support from the gaming community, the
> Gillard government is determined to fix the classification system for
> computer games, which allows unsuitable games to be rated for
> 15-year-olds, yet bans popular games for adults.
>
> But the Baillieu government's Attorney-General, Robert Clark, has
> echoed the concerns of the Australian Christian Lobby, putting him on
> a collision course with Canberra, which requires the backing of all
> states and territories to change classification laws."
>
>
> http://www.theage.com.au/digital-life/games/video-games-reform-rebuffed-over-violence-fears-20110402-1csmm.html
>
>  [more at the link]
>
>
> "With censors swamped, Canberra signals it's time for self-regulation
> Melissa Fyfe
> April 3, 2011
>
> Illustration: Matt Golding.
>
> IN A significant change to the way Australia censors and classifies
> information and entertainment, the Gillard government has conceded
> that some industries will have to self-regulate and classify their
> own products.
>
> In an interview with The Sunday Age, Home Affairs Minister Brendan
> O'Connor said Australia cannot create an ''army of classifiers'' to
> assess the huge amount of new material available to people -
> particularly mobile phone games, video and applications."
>
>
> http://www.theage.com.au/digital-life/games/with-censors-swamped-canberra-signals-its-time-for-selfregulation-20110402-1cslg.html
>
>  [more behind the link -- go there, just to see Golding's cartoon]
>
>
> Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
> jwhit at janwhitaker.com
> blog: http://janwhitaker.com/jansblog/
> business: http://www.janwhitaker.com
>
> Our truest response to the irrationality of the world is to paint or
> sing or write, for only in such response do we find truth.
> ~Madeline L'Engle, writer
>
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-- 
John Hilvert