Rau’s R18+ game-play defeated
Feb 16, 2012
Hon Stephen Wade MLC
Shadow Attorney General
Shadow Minister for Justice
Rau’s R18+ game-play defeated
The Federal Labor Government has introduced laws that will introduce an R18+ rating for computer games, but will retain an MA15+ rating despite Attorney-General Rau promising to abolish the category altogether.
On 28 April 2011 Attorney-General Rau committed to ‘go it alone’ if the national agreement kept an MA15+ rating. Such a move would make South Australia’s censorship regime more restrictive than the rest of Australia.
Division within the Labor Party had previously emerged, with former Attorney-General Atkinson criticising the proposal for an R18+ rating, consistently vetoing reforms at the former Standing Committee of Attorneys-General while he had the portfolio.
Attorney-General Rau, former Attorney-General Atkinson and Federal Minister Clare all have conflicting positions on the reforms.
Attorney-General Rau provided no explanation of how he hoped to enforce a censorship regime that was inconsistent with other states, or how he planned to stop the purchase of computer games from interstate or overseas.
“This announcement by the Federal Labor Government is a defeat for both Attorney-General Rau and his predecessor,” Shadow Attorney-General Stephen Wade said.
“Australians will now have a consistent classification regime for computer games – from G rating to R18+.
“It’s now up to Attorney-General Rau to make clear whether he still intends to introduce an unworkable South Australia-only censorship regime, or whether he will admit defeat and fall into line with other states and his Federal Labor colleagues,” Mr Wade said.