Petitioner not discouraged

Press, Volume CX, Issue 32425, 12 October 1970, Page 2

Petitioner not discouraged

(N.Z. Press Association) WELLINGTON, Oct. 11. The Parliamentary Petitions Committee’s hearing on her “anti-indecency” petition was badly run, a Lower Hutt schoolteacher, Miss P. Bartlett, claimed on Saturday. On Friday the committee made “no recommendation” on the petition, which, with three similar petitions, attracted nearly 50,000 signatures. Miss Bartlett’s petition called on the Government to define indecency within the Crimes Act and the Cinematographic Films Act to include displays of sexual intercourse, nudity and bare female breasts. The four-day hearing had been badly conducted, said

Miss Bartlett. Chairmen had been changed and 11 different M.P.s had appeared on the eight-mem-ber committee.

During the four days two members appeared for only one day, another two for one day 10 minutes and one and a half days respectively, and two more for only two days of the hearing, she said.

“The Petitions Committee is badly run because the members are obviously overworked. They appear on too many committees,” she said.

Although her petition has been turned down Miss Bartlett has not given up. “I’m still willing to talk to interested groups to encourage them to protest.”