SPCS

SOCIETY FOR PROMOTION OF COMMUNITY STANDARDS INC.

Minister Hon. Rick Barker Fails to Replace Lame-Duck Board Censors

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Media Release 24/10/07

The Minister of Internal Affairs, the Hon. Rick Barker, has failed to replace three members of the nine-member Film and Literature Board of Review (“the Board”), whose positions expired on 31 March 2007, almost seven months ago. The Society, which has raised numerous concerns with the Minister and his predecessor, the Hon. George Hawkins, over their respective failures to comply with their statutory duties regarding Board appointments; says that these three lame- duck members – Peter Cartwright, Dr Lalita Rajasingham and Stephen Stehlin – have played no active role in Board proceedings since 27 April 2007. However, it points out that the Board is required by law to have NINE fully-functioning members (not just six), each fully capable of participating in all review processes, who reflect the breadth of cultural, ethical and standards-based concerns found in New Zealand Society in the area of censorship (safeguarding the “public good”) [1].

The Board has continued this year to convene hearings, deliberate on critical reviews and issue decisions, but has done so since the end of April without any input from the three lame-duck members concerned. While it is true that the Board can operate with full authority and carry out its functions in law as a quorum of five [2], the non-participation of three members due to their positions having expired, is not sanctioned in law, says the Society. The quorum provision is only there for pragmatic reasons – to overcome genuine unavailability (sickness, family commitments, work conflicts etc) of members. It is not a provision put in place to assist a tardy Minister, unable or refusing to carry out his statutory duties. [Read more…]

Society Raises Concerns Over Dissemination of Objectionable Internet Content

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Media Release 13/08/07

On Thursday night last week The Australian Prime Minister John Howard announced a A$189 million package to deal with the growing problems of internet porn and dissemination of, and availability of, objectionable content to minors via Internet Service Providers (ISPs). The tough measures adopted by the Howard government to stamp out two evils – accessibility to hardcore porn and alcohol abuse in Northern Aboriginal communities – because of their injurious effect on the “public good” and links to child abuse, has been matched by his latest measures. Every Australian public library as well as individual family will be provided with free software to filter internet content to prevent children downloading pornography and other offensive material, service providers will work alongside the government to filter pornography at its source, a ‘black list’ of pornographic sites will be established, and privacy laws will be altered so that sex offenders cannot ‘hide’ on the internet and chatroom sex predators will be rigorously hunted down and prosecuted. In addition a seven-day-a-week hotline will help parents put filters on their computers to block material that is passed on to home computers via ISPs.

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Public Address: Lessons From the Life of William Wilberforce (1759 – 1833)

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Public Address:

Friday Evening 15 June, 2007

Delivered by Society Executive Director David Lane

The Grand Hall at Parliament, Parliament Buildings, Wellington

“Let us Now Praise Famous Men” Ecclesiasticus 44:1

This year marks the bicentennial of the abolition of the slave trade in Britain and all its colonies. 200 years ago on the 25th March 1807, William Wilberforce MP, a committed evangelical Christian who had first introduced his bill to abolish the slave trade in 1788, witnessed the British parliament enact the Slave Trade Act. He bowed his head and wept for joy when the result of the vote was announced in the House. For 18 years he had persisted in introducing anti-slavery motions before parliament without success, enduring sustained apathy, derision and insult from his many opponents. In fact, at one point he was referred to as the “most hated man in England”. At first, he stood almost alone. However, Methodist evangelist John Wesley and Rev. John Newton, former slave-ship owner and author of the enduring hymn, “Amazing Grace”, both encouraged him, along with many other evangelical Christians. Newton told him: “The Lord has raised you up to the good of His church and for the good of the nation”.

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MPS Fail to address Family Planning Association disaster

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Press Release 5 April 2007

The results of the Youth Sexual Health report that was made public yesterday shows that years of tax-payer funded sex education classes organised by the Family Planning Association (FPA) and other like-minded groups have utterly failed to achieve any significant reduction in the high rates of teenage pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections. The Society is not surprised that New Zealand now has the second highest rate of teenage pregnancy among OECD countries, second only to the United States.

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Society Wants Obscene ‘Police Baton’ Sex Video Approved by Chief Censor, Banned

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‘Ban baton sex video’

Sunday Star-Times
11 March 2007, A4

A COMMUNITY standards lobby group is asking for a porn video featuring police batons used as “sex toys” to be banned in light of public outrage over historic allegations against police officers.

The Society for Promotion of Community Standards has applied for leave from the chief censor to have the classification of Big Boob Lesbian Cops II reconsidered.

This film – which features group sex and “humorous” role-plays involving police officers using batons as penetrative sex toys on women – was cleared for R18 release with no cuts in 1994.

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