‘Video report flawed’ -anti-porn group

Press, 31 May 1985, Page 14

‘Video report flawed’ -anti-porn group

PA Wellington An inter-departmental Government report calling for the establishment of a tribunal to classify videotapes has received a mixed response from women’s groups. The National Council of Women vice-president, Mrs Laurie Salas, said the report represented some progress towards a system of classification of videos and some control over the showing of objectionable material. But Women Against Pornography was critical of lack of consultation in preparing the report and has called for a public inquiry. In a press statement, W.A.P. called on the Gov-

ernment to honour its election promise of full consultation with interest groups and the public and to stop “putting the interests of commercial profit before the rights of women.”

“This issue is every bit as vital to women’s well-being as was the rape discussion paper and the Rape Law Reform Bill and yet the public are being denied the opportunity to participate in the formation of policy at all stages," it said.

“The irony is that while we have been criticised for promoting a tribunal of women to act in the area of pornographic material, this Government report has been compiled bv three

men, to whom we understand the video retailers have had access since before the General Election last year.”

W.A.P. said it had been denied access to the committee by the Minister of Justice.

The group said the report was an attempt to gloss over inadequacy of the definition of what was “indecent;” the "contradictory attitude” of the Indecent Publications Tribunal which banned sex education material but passed explicit pornography; and the behaviour of the Chief Film Censor “who after stating publicly a number of times that he does not believe in censorship is, according to

the report, correctly interpreting the Films Act.” W.A.P. said the report identified the potential harm to children as being a major public concern yet “shrugs its shoulders by saying if can see no solution to the difficulty of children’s watching pornographic videos and makes no recommendations on it.

“The report is riddled with flaws in logic, is inconsistent and has the same emotive bias it accuses lobby groups of having,” W.A.P. said.