Brown Peter: Films Videos and Publications Classification  Amendment Bill — Second Reading 
Brown Peter: Films Videos and Publications Classification  Amendment Bill — Second Reading 
[Volume:623;Page:18434] 
PETER BROWN (Deputy Leader—NZ First) 
: 
 I would like to make it quite clear from the outset that New Zealand First does support this bill. It is certainly a significant step in the right direction. It is unlikely that I will take my full call because to some considerable degree the Minister of Justice has stolen the thunder of the Opposition. I hope the Minister appreciates that we are honest enough to say that. [ 
Interruption 
] I am not prepared to stand here like Mr Worth and just talk for the sake of using up my 10 minutes. 
I know I talk for my colleagues when I say that we are very delighted that the Minister has taken on board the information that has been conveyed to us by Denise Ritchie and that he will toughen up on the penalty regime. That is a large part of our criticism of this bill. It is one significant criticism that we have—that the bill as it has come back from the Government Administration Committee is not tough enough in terms of penalties. Perhaps for the enlightenment of Mr Worth I would like to ask why the two National Party members on that committee did not pick up that the UK and Canada are tougher than we will be under the provisions of this bill nor that Australia will be toughening up its legislation. Maybe they— 
Dr Richard Worth 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. I am not sure whether the invitation that has been offered to me to offer an explanation is an indication of the member yielding but if it is I am very happy to take advantage of that invitation. 
The ASSISTANT SPEAKER (Hon Clem Simich) 
: That is not a point of order and should not have been raised. 
PETER BROWN 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. I draw your attention to the fact that New Zealand First members usually sit here quite quietly and let people have their 10-minute say in whatever way they want. If Mr Worth wants to heckle behind me— 
The ASSISTANT SPEAKER (Hon Clem Simich) 
: That is not a point of order. I had dealt with that spurious point of order. 
PETER BROWN 
: Such interruption throws a person out of gear but I will get back to it. I question why the two National Party MPs did not see fit to examine at the committee what the legislation in the UK in Canada and in Australia contains in terms of penalties. Maybe they would like to focus their minds on that rather than sitting there harping on as if they know everything. One concern that I have in particular—I know that it is shared by many of my colleagues—is a missed opportunity with this bill and that is the opportunity to tighten up on censorship across the board. 
Stephen Franks 
: It has not been missed. They are doing it. 
PETER BROWN 
: They are doing it? 
Stephen Franks 
: You have to read it carefully. 
PETER BROWN 
: One would have to read it very carefully to get that impression. I am interested in the member’s comments and I will have to listen to him when he takes his call. New Zealand First was not on the select committee. By reading this bill fairly carefully I get the impression that some of the films that are currently coming into this country are actually disgusting. I refer to films like  
Baise-moi; 
 I have never seen such a disgusting film in all my life and I do not want to ever see another like it. I have read many of the censors’ reports on other films. I will not name them. They degrade women in particular; they accommodate violence; and there are graphic sexual scenes. There is one film which I shall not name that apparently shows the rape of a young woman for 9½ minutes. I am curious to know—maybe Mr Franks will tell us when he takes his call—whether he thinks this tightening up will address those sorts of problems because it is my understanding that it will not but I hope I am wrong. 
I share some of the concerns stated by the National Party member before me in terms of hate speech. I just wonder whether this is taking life a little bit too far. Not everybody has nice thoughts about everybody all of the time and sometimes these things come out and they become quite spiteful. I find it a bit unusual that we are looking at hate speech in a way that might limit the freedom of a person to have a frank and honest view on an issue or the actions of a particular group of people. If the select committee is to instigate a committee of inquiry into this it should tread very very carefully. I am interested to know how far that inquiry has progressed. 
The commentary in referring to the scope of censorship law states: “After careful consideration we do not consider the scope of what may be classified as objectionable under the Act should be widened relative to the original intent of Parliament.” with no thought or recommendation there of the committee having any sort of investigation into the actual films and videos that the censor allows to come into this country. A huge number are readily available and there is no inquiry into whether they are worthwhile or what benefits they have. 
I point out that people who get involved in child pornography and those sorts of devious actions start somewhere else. It starts with adult pornography. I am aware of a frequently heard saying: basically human beings are what they eat; if they fill their stomachs with garbage food then their bodies suffer. I suggest that people are what they read and what they watch. If they fill their minds with weird and wonderful activities with pornography then it is no wonder that we turn out far too many deviants and perverts in our society. 
Having said that I would like to end on a positive note. New Zealand First will support this bill this far. We hope the Minister will be true to his word—he usually is—and produce a Supplementary Order Paper that tightens up the penalty regime in which case New Zealand First will support the bill through to its final reading. We look forward to seeing the Minister’s Supplementary Order Paper in which he tightens up the penalties and put us in line with Britain Canada and some of those Australian states that are currently tightening up their penalty regimes.