Press Release: 11 May 2006
The Society has written an open letter to Whitcoulls (NZ) congratulating its management for refusing to stock the “gay” magazine JACK. It has responded to the arguments put forward by Chief Censor, Bill Hastings, that sexually explicit NZ AIDS Foundation ads in the magazine promoting ‘safe-sex’ via condom use are in the “public good”.
Minister defends Objectionable and Obscene Filth
See how Minister of Internal Affairs – Hon Rick Barker – defends Objectionable and Obscene Filth.
Saturday, 08 April 2006
See from the Hansard Record how the Minister of Internal Affairs – Hon Rick Barker – defends Objectionable and Obscene Moral Filth that degrades and dehumanises women………. OFLC Reports of sexually explicit R18 DVDs and Videos cleared by Chief Censor, Bill Hastings, tabled in House by Peter Brown MP, Deputy Leader of NZ First Party…….. See how Minister tries to excuse his failure to fulfil his statutory duty with respect to eight Film and Literature Board of Review positions that expired 22 months ago.
Demographic Data Sought Urgently on Chief Censor’s Office
Media Release 3/02/06
The Society executive has requested the following information today from the Chief Censor, Bill Hastings, in an Official Information Request, marked “URGENT”. (1) Basic data on gender, ethnicity, religious affiliation, sexual orientation for all those employed as classification officers, information unit and complaints officers in the Office of Film and Literature Classification (OFLC); and (2) Basic data on the above demographics for members of the executive of the OFLC (Chief Censor and Deputy Chief Censor). The request notes:
Chief Censor’s Office Identifies Film Complaints
Saturday, 12 November 2005
The Chief Censors’ Office – the Office of Film and Literature Classification (OFLC) – notes in its Annual Report 2005, recently tabled in parliament, that the two films most complained about by members of the public over the last year, were “9 Songs” and “Irreversible”. Both were films that the Society sought unsuccessfully to have banned or cut, by seeking reviews of the classifications by the Film and Literature Board of Review. In both cases the Board unanimously upheld the R18 classifications issued by the Classification Office. The OFLC Report 2005 states:
Call to Minister to replace Board Members
Monday, 31 October 2005
The Society is calling on the new Minister of Internal Affairs, Hon. Rick Barker, to replace all nine members of the Film & Literature Board of Review [“the Board”], including the Governor-General’s husband Peter Cartwright. Mr Cartwright’s term of office, along with those of seven other board members, expired 15 months ago on 31 May 2004. Their re-appointment can only be made by his wife, Governor-General, Dame Sylvia Cartwright, on the recommendation of the Minister.