Peter Veness
AAP
The federal government has sent a clear message on media classification: it wants a big rethink.
As a row over access to violent video games continues, the government on Tuesday made two major announcements on the appointment of a new deputy director of classification and senior classifier.
Lesley O’Brien has been appointed deputy director and Greg Scott will be the senior classifier, Home Affairs Minister Brendan O’Connor said.
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Mr O’Connor also announced five new appointments to general positions on the board, describing the changes as a process of renewal.
“From early next year, the classification board will undergo a period of renewal,” Mr O’Connor said in a statement.
“Refreshing the board is a healthy thing for classification decision-making in this country.”
The other major news on the classification front came from Attorney-General Robert McClelland.
Mr McClelland has ordered a year-long review of the classification system to be run by the law reform commission.
The draft terms of reference for the review suggest the classification categories themselves may be changed.
The review is set to look at a host of issues including the impact of classifications on the community and the government’s desire for a strong content and distribution industry.
Mr O’Connor said that when the classification scheme began, content and the way it was delivered to consumers were relatively static.
“Today, films can be watched in a cinema, on DVD, on TV or downloaded,” he said.
“Many video games include significant film segments to tell stories, and some films have interactive content.”
Comments on the terms of reference will be taken until January 28, with a full report from the commission due on December 9 next year.
The announcements come amidst a long and, at times, loud debate about the introduction of an R18+ classification for video games that are banned from Australian stores but are widely available elsewhere.
This month, the nation’s attorneys-general decided to draw up guidelines for the possible creation of an R18+ classification, a decision which angered many family and Christian groups.
Source: www.smh.com.au
