Worth Richard: Films Videos and Publications Classification  Amendment Bill — In Committee 
Worth Richard: Films Videos and Publications Classification  Amendment Bill — In Committee 
[Volume:623;Page:18636] 
Dr RICHARD WORTH (National—Epsom) 
: 
 This is important legislation because it is all about striking a balance in society—a balance that I think is increasingly difficult to strike—between freedom and appropriate restraint. It is a bit like the issue of whether judges should legislate or whether they should be subject to some faint constraint. 
 National supports this legislation. I think it is sad that we come to it with a number of Supplementary Order Paper amendments. Those issues are really best addressed if it is possible in the context of the select committee stage. But I feel strong sympathy for the proposals that Mr Franks a wise and able legislator seeks to move in Committee. They are changes that I think would bring improvement to this legislation. 
I see the young Minister in the chair Mr Goff scoffing at what my comments have implied. He falls short of being prepared to endorse the intellect of Mr Franks. But I do not for a moment do that because I think there are a number of points in the proposed Supplementary Order Paper that are worthy of consideration. The problem is that when those amendments come fast and late it is difficult for the officials to immediately recognise the burden of the argument and the strength of the propositions. I express the hope therefore that the Minister in the chair and those members opposite in what is a very crowded Chamber tonight may see the merit of what is being proposed by Mr Franks. It is easy to follow because following the changes that he proposes to make to Part 1 there is a simply worded explanation about the consequence of each part. 
It is incredibly important that as legislators we seek to define the society that we wish to live in. I have said before in this House and in this Committee that it is very difficult to legislate in any realistic way what is appropriate or inappropriate behaviour. The most that can be given are signals; signals that hopefully people in the community will pick up from the way legislation is drafted as to what is or is not appropriate conduct and we see it here. There are limited proposals for change which are set out in the bill as reported back from the Government Administration Committee. 
So I endorse what Mr Franks has to say and the reasons for what lies behind what he plans and I am sure that National will support what Mr Franks proposes. I commend to the Committee the basis of his Supplementary Order Paper. I express the hope that National will vote for it. I also express the hope that National—as I am sure it will—will vote for the thrust of this legislation. Although maybe it is a little bit remote from the Films Videos and Publications Classification Amendment Bill it nevertheless touches very much aspects of morality in our nation. 
I have had the good fortune to have climbed Kilimanjaro in the last few days and to have been to Arusha which is at the base of the mountain and to have seen the International Criminal Court in action. I heard a story about a priest who padlocked 2000 people into his church and then proceeded to bulldoze that church to the ground with the consequence that those 2000 people lost their lives. As the International Criminal Court hears that case which is now at the point where the prosecution has closed its case it has the opportunity to set an example. 
That is what we do as legislators. We have to sit and carefully ponder whether what we are debating is good stuff in the context of governance to provide leadership or whether it is merely politically correct window dressing. We need to be cautious as we advance with legislation of this type to make sure that it has a message and a leadership ideal.