Video bill sent back for consideration

Press, 13 November 1985, Page 6

Video bill sent back for consideration

PA Wellington Government members of Parliament yesterday backed an Opposition move to send a private member’s bill, setting up a classification system for videotapes, back to a select committee for further consideration.

However, the Video Classification Bill, introduced by the member of Parliament for Hauraki, Mr Graeme Lee (Nat.,), will be superseded by Government legislation promised by the end of the year to deal with violent and pornographic videotapes. Mr Lee’s bill provides for an authority to classify videos according to their content.

Mr Lee suggested that the New Zealand Video Association function as that authority, but the Commerce and Marketing Select Committee, reporting the bill back to Parliament yesterday, recommended it not proceed any further. The Hauraki member then moved an amendment to have the bill returned to the select committee for further consideration. “We want the Govern-

ment to address the issues of the bill,” he said. However, Dr Clive Matthewson (Lab., Dunedin West), said the bill was a "rather half-baked response to a complex problem.” “This recommendation that the bill not be allowed to proceed is not because the Government does not think something should be done about the problem of video nasties,” Mr Matthewson said. “In fact it is the opposite.” A comprehensive Government measure would be introduced later this year, he said.

Mr Matthewson said that the wide availability of indecent videos had been causing concern, but he said the bill’s proposed classification authority was like a control being adminisby gun sellers. “While it (Mr Lee’s bill) would make it easier for some consumers to avoid video nasties it would also make it easier for some people to view such videos. “It simply does not provide for control at all,” said Mr Matthewson. “The Government bill which will be introduced is the result of

careful consideration of the issues involved.” Mr Matthewson said that an inter-departmental working committee on the issue had recommended a classificaton authority which would do more than “provide a consumer information service.” Under the Government bill the film censor would continue to deal with videos for public exhibition. For movies for private use classification would be made by a video tape authority, which would be a Government responsibility. All videos would bear a label as to their contents. As well, the Government measure would deal with the control of tapes which contained undesirable material, he said.

The Government bill would be introduced shortly, which made Mr Lee’s bill “at best unneccessary,” Mr Matthewson said. Mr Lee said the Government had egg on its face over the way it had failed to handle the issue of classifying videos.

The matter was one of great urgency, he said.