Controversial film in bad taste but fits within classification guidelines: Minister

26/10/00
Censorship Minister Cheryl Edwardes has reviewed the Gay and Lesbian film festival movie Queer as Folk and concurs with the Office of Film and Literature Classification (OFLC) that it is an adults only movie.
The review follows community concerns raised about its sexual content, particularly in terms of paedophilia.
"I have seen the movie and I agree the view that it is in bad taste and is certainly not a movie I would promote to anyone,"
Mrs Edwardes said.
"I have received advice from the Western Australian Censorship Advisory Committee that the sex scenes contained in the movie are not explicit, but implied, they are not exploitative and do not promote paedophilia.
"The committee also points out the movie will not be seen by anyone but adults and it is extremely unlikely unsuspecting adults would see it by mistake.
"I concur with the committee's advice that the film, although confronting, does not promote paedophilia and contains implied sex."
Mrs Edwardes said the State Government did not condone paedophilia of any kind and Western Australia had the strictest laws relating to child pornography in Australia - five years' jail for private possession of child pornography and seven years' jail for sale or distribution of child pornography.
Classification guidelines for all forms of media (films, computer games and publications) were specifically amended by Censorship Ministers last year to outlaw material which promotes paedophilia.
"There has always been two schools of thought about censorship," Mrs Edwardes said.
"One is that adults in a democracy should be able to read and see what they like, the other is that all this sort of material should be banned.
"The Government attempts to introduce the element of balance by imposing conditions on restricted material.
"Essentially this system provides adults with the freedom to decide the type of material they wish to see under certain constraints for the benefit of society as a whole and with particular mind to protecting children from material likely to harm or disturb them.
"But on balance, the movie, although not one I would choose to see, does not promote paedophilia, does not show explicit sex, is part of a limited film festival and on the advice I have received from the OFLC and the Censorship Advisory Committee, the film falls within classification guidelines."
Media contact: Steve Manchee 9421 7777