Earlier this week, psychologist Dr Wayne Warburton – representing an organisation known as the Australian Council on Children and the Media – claimed on Channel 10 news that the link between playing video games violence is much stronger than the link between smoking and lung cancer. It turns out that particular organisation receives funding from a certain Attorney General who goes by the name of Michael Atkinson.
Andrew Ramadge over at News.com.au has discovered that the group, which trades under the name Young Media Australia, receives an annual grant from the South Australian Attorney General. The money is used to fund a program called “Know before you go”, which offers information to parents about films suitable for children. The News article states that the grant has been valued at $33,000.
Aside from the question marks surrounding Atkinson’s funding of a group whose anti-videogame stance is as obvious as his own is the fact that his donations go to a project that believes the current system isn’t up to scratch. Surely the Senator knows that making sure the classifications system is up to scratch is part of his job?
The News article is a must-read. Click through below.