We’ve been arguing for years now that the classification system is broken. Well it turns out that Tony Abbott – leader of the Opposition and only real alternative to KRudd for Prime Minister of this country at the moment -agrees with us. Although I’m guessing it’s not for the same reasons…
Junglist has penned an interesting piece over on Kotaku where he quotes Abbott responding to a question about the premature sexualisation of children today:
“I think that the best way to handle this is to accept that our current classification system is broken.”
The question was posed at a debate between Abbott and the PM organised by the Australian Christian Lobby. And while that initial statement may sound like a beacon of hope to gamers hoping to be treated like the adults they are, Abbott’s next comment should give you pause.
“I think we have to be careful about what some might describe as the heavy hand of censorship. I’m not normally one for wanting to see government enquiries, but I think in this case we probably do need a further review, building on the work of the senate enquiry to which you refer, and I think any such review should be tasked with trying to come up with a new way of ensuring that proper community standards are applied to the media, all media, including new media.”
Sure, that sounds logical enough and safe enough on its own. But let’s put it in context. For one, he was speaking to the Australian Christian Lobby, a group that has previously said the games industry mirrors the tobacco industry and has publicly petitioned against the introduction of an adult classification for games.
Next, you have Abbott himself, an individual who believes in fundamental “Christian” values, like not having sex before marriage, and that housewives are responsible for doing the ironing. A man who has failed to state one way or another whether he supports the government’s mandatory internet filter, despite it being a hugely polarising issue.
The fact that this man made these comments at an event hosted by the ACL doesn’t leave me thinking he’s supportive of classification reform that might result in treating gamers like adults. It has me fearing for a future where everybody is treated like children. And that’s not a future I want to live in…
[Kotaku]
Yoda
Wednesday, June 23, 2010 at 1:00 PMWhere else would you live?
The internet portals and spams will still find you. Theres no where to hide.
Andy
Wednesday, June 23, 2010 at 1:25 PMI agree with Yoda. These portals are everywhere.
matt
Wednesday, June 23, 2010 at 1:45 PMI have no faith in him getting us what we want. more to the point, as has been shown quite well over the last few years, the federal gov seems to have/want nothing to do with the issue. seem happy to leave it in the ‘safe’ hands of the AGs
Daniel
Wednesday, June 23, 2010 at 1:56 PMYeah, as much as people complain about Labor’s ‘censorship’, you should be terrified of the possibilities if Abbott is in power.
Jones
Wednesday, June 23, 2010 at 2:39 PMI believe that Mr Abbot also mentioned he would scap the NBN if the coaliton got in to power. Not sure if he meant the current model or all together, either way it does not sound good for gamers and lovers of all things interwebby.
simulacrum
Wednesday, June 23, 2010 at 3:34 PMAbbott is a Howard-school politician. There are two elements to the strategy:
1) Bag the government as much as possible, whether there is any substance to the criticisms or not, the main thing is that the general impression is negative once all the details have been forgotten.
2)Reveal as little as possible about your own agenda… Once you get into power you can pass what you want anyway as long as you distract people with random scare tactics about national security or “queue-jumpers” and take credit for anything you can from low interest rates to the weather.
He’ll never openly reveal what he stands for because he probably knows that it’s too conservative and most Australians would find it unpalatable.
Ross Moir
Wednesday, June 23, 2010 at 3:55 PMIt’s interesting that he mentions caution about the heavy hand of censorship considering many chritian lobbies demand censorship of everything from print media to the spoken word.
Of course, if they applied their desired bans against violence and sex to the bible, it would be half the size.
Ultimately, it’s double speak and spam designed to explain his position on a subject he knows nothing about.
Luke
Wednesday, June 23, 2010 at 4:17 PMif i may speak freely here for a second. i am really sick of people and there #$%^@#$ BS.
it’s the parents job to make sure the children don’t play these games. there children. how on earth are they ever going to get 100$ to buy one of these games in the first place? the parents have to buy them for the child.
secondly there are more adults then there are children playing these games, that is if you include the MA 15+ why are we never heard?
thirdly WHY is a “religious group” telling me what i can and can’t do? i am not religious at all i don’t go to church. but they still force that crap down my neck in more ways than one.
Fizz
Thursday, June 24, 2010 at 9:34 PMThis is a man who once wanted to become a Catholic priest.
The crowd was a group of Christian conservatives.
Between the lines the comment must be read as “the censorship laws are broken because pornography is available in ‘any’ media”