Bill to liberalise censorship

Press, Volume CXV, Issue 33819, 16 April 1975, Page 2

Bill to liberalise censorship

(.V.Z Press Association) WELLINGTON, April 15

A private member’s bill liberalising the film censorship laws was introduced in Parliament by Mr J. L. Hunt (Lab., [New Lynn) today, amid criticism that promised ; Government legislation on films had not eventuated.

Mr Hunt’s Cinematograph Films Amendment Bill is almost identical to the bill he

introduced last year, and ensures that the censor takes artistic merit into account in assessing films, and that films passed by the censor are shown uncut to adults. i Mr Hunt said since his first bill was introduced last year, i he had received 1352 letters I on the bill, of which 1100 supnorted it. Mr Hunt said he proposed that the act be under the Department of Internal Affairs, rather than the Justice Department, because Internal Affairs dealt with the arts. The film societies would no longer have two members on the appeal board as of right,

but the size of the board had been increased from three to five, and all would be appointed after consultation between the Minister and the film societies. Mr Hunt said the societies represented 40,000 people with a special interest in films, and the bill recognised that they should have a special say. Mr Hunt said the third change was to rectify a minor anomaly in the classifications. The Government hoped its own bill would be introduced before the end of the year, Mr Hunt said. He appreciated the “kind gesture” in allow-

ing the two bills to go forward jointly to a Select Committee. The bill’s introduction was called “real humbug” by the Opposition spokesman on internal affairs, Mr D. A. Highet (Remuera). The Minister of Internal Affairs (Mr May) had given a definite undertaking in March last year that he would introduce a Government bill before the end of the last session, but the bill had not appeared. The Opposition had no quarrel with Mr Hunt's bill, and thought it deserved discussion. but it was essential that the Government brought

down its own bill without further delay. The bill was supported by the Minister of Justice (Dr Finlay), who called film censorship “particularly insidious” because it could alter the character of a work of art without the viewer’s being aware of what had been cut. He said instructions on Mr May’s bill had been given to Parliamentary counsel, and the bill should be ready for introduction before the end of the session. He agreed that films should come under the jurisdiction of the Department of Internal Affairs rather than his own department.