Tizard Judith: Films Videos and Publications Classification Amendment Bill — First Reading 
Tizard Judith: Films Videos and Publications Classification Amendment Bill — First Reading 
[Volume:615;Page:11469] 
Hon JUDITH TIZARD (Associate Minister for Arts Culture and Heritage) 
: 
 The previous speaker demonstrates the appalling problem of members who fail to read the original legislation when they are talking about proposed amendments. The original legislation the Films Videos and Publications Classification Act has a section 3 “Meaning of ‘objectionable’ “ and section 3(2)(d) states: “The use of urine or excrement in association with degrading or dehumanising conduct or sexual conduct” is outlawed. The problem is that the courts have not interpreted that in the terms— 
Peter Brown 
: You are all woolly-woofters. 
Hon JUDITH TIZARD 
: What does “woolly-woofter” mean? What a bizarre expression for a female member of this House who is not homosexual and who is not the least bit woolly! I do not understand why members of this House take such a strange attitude and abuse language. However this legislation is about that matter and I think we should take it seriously. Having been on the select committee that looked at this matter in 1993 I take it very seriously. I do not laugh about the effects of appalling—calling it “pornography” is too light—degrading dehumanising violent matter which is now very generally available in this country. I take it very seriously. 
I also take very seriously the effect of degrading abusive language. Terms like “woolly-woofter” are amongst the terms I find degrading because homosexual men and particularly homosexual boys are denigrated as somehow less than human. If any member of this House wants to justify the appalling male suicide rate in this country which to some extent is clearly linked to abuse of people on the grounds of their sexuality then I want to dissociate myself from that. 
This Films Videos and Publications Classification Amendment Bill is the first significant reform of the censorship law since 1993 and that law was a major reform of what went before it. However there have been reviews that indicate that that law has been to some extent watered down perhaps on the basis of freedom of language freedom of expression and all of those things that we all hold dear. 
But the most important reform advanced by the bill is the new measures it contains to combat the alarming growth in the trade of child pornography via the Internet. The committee had no idea in 1993 how the Internet would develop and how it would allow both positive and extremely damaging material to be passed. The bill includes tenfold increases in the penalties for dealing with such material—including the objectionable material that that ignorant member chooses to attack. The bill is trying to tighten it up. [ 
Interruption 
] It is not loosening it. If that member were to go and read anything about the case law and the original law he would know that his assertion is just ignorant and stupid. 
This is a serious matter. It is a fact that in 1993 for the first time ever that committee recognised that for every item of child pornography a child has been abused—a child in this country or a child in another country. I take that very very seriously. I also take very seriously many of the obscene degrading and dehumanising images of women of men and of animals. It is an appalling trade. I do not see it as erotica or sexually acceptable to degrade other people or indeed animals for sexual satisfaction. Under this legislation people who produce trade or distribute child pornography will now face up to 10 years in prison and people who possess child pornography may face up to 2 years in prison. It is the first time that objectionable material such as child pornography will be treated as an aggravating factor in sentencing and I take that very seriously. 
I also want to pay an enormous tribute to the Department of Internal Affairs staff who are actively monitoring the Internet so that people who are trading in this material can be charged. It is a difficult and often disgusting job and I commend them for the intelligent well-analysed approach they take to it and the energetic assertive way they deal with it. I believe that because of the work of those people there are children alive today children not being abused. It is only by having good law and good enforcement that our children can be kept safe. 
I also want to say I very strongly support the inclusion of hate language. My grandmother used to say to me: “Sticks and stones may break your bones but names will never hurt you.” Well as I have already indicated in this speech tonight I believe passionately that many New Zealanders today and in the past have been seriously damaged by abusive language particularly from people in positions of responsibility in positions where young and older New Zealanders can be damaged by the denigration of something that is fundamental to them like their race age sexuality or sexual orientation. 
I think this is good legislation. I commend the Government for taking active steps and I commend the Government for funding the enforcement of the present law. I look forward to many more New Zealanders being safe and growing up to be healthy sexually happy people confident in their culture their race their sexual orientation their pursuits their jobs and their sports—and not being called disgusting denigrating things such as members have heard in the House tonight.