SOCIETY FOR PROMOTION OF COMMUNITY STANDARDS INC.
Press Release 12/05/06
The New Zealand AIDS Foundation strongly rejects claims that its new “safe sex” advertisement, featured in the latest issue of gay magazine Jack, is pornographic (Scoop 11/05). This is about as true as their spurious claim that condoms will prevent the transmission of the HIV virus.
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”.
10 May 2006
Official Information Request: 14 Questions
Attention:
Minister of Internal Affairs, Hon. Rick Barker
and the Chief Executive of the Department of Internal Affairs, Mr Christopher Blake
Re: Appointment process involving eight vacancies on the Film and Literature Board of Review
Dear Sirs,
The Society’s national executive is seeking urgent answers to the following questions:
1. Why did it take the Minister 18 months before calling for nominations for the eight statutory positions on the Film and Literature Board of Review that became vacant on 31 May 2004?
More Questions (2-14)
2. In the light of the expiry date noted in Q.1: Why has it taken the Minister four months following the closing date of nominations for these eight positions, 21 December 2005, to make a decision to reappoint all eight members of the board, a decision first notified to the public by way of his press released dated 8 May 2006?
3. How many nominations were received by the Minister for these eight positions and how many of the the nominees were suitably qualified for consideration for the positions.
4. What was the nature and scope of the appointment process undertaken by the Department of Internal Affairs and the Minister in the consideration of those applicants nominated?
5. How many meetings were held by the Department of Internal Affairs officials to seriously consider the suitability of those persons nominated for board positions and did the Minister attend any of these meetings – if so how many?
6. Were any of the persons nominated formally contacted by the Department and/or the Minister in order to acknowledge that their application/nomination were being considered, or for any other reason, and if so, how many and when?
7. Was a short list ever drawn up by Department officials and/or Minister of the most suitably qualified nominees and were any meetings held by the Department and/or Minister to discuss the persons on any short list created?
8. What was the nature and number of the meetings held between Mr Barker and the Ministers of Justice and Minister of Women’s Affairs over the applications involving nominated persons?
9. Does the Minister take the view that his statutory duties to apply the law (re the appointment process) are suspended during the period a select committee considers a bill that proposes changes to that law, and if so, why and on what legal basis?
10. Does the Minister take seriously his statutory duties under the Films, Videos and Publications Classification Act 1993 to ensure that vacancies in the executive of the Office of Film and Literature Classification are filled, and if so why?
11. Why has the Minister not done anything about the fact that there has been a vacancy in the Office of Film and and Literature Classification since late September/October 2005, namely the position of Deputy Chief Censor of Film and Literature.?
12. On what, if any, legal basis, does the current Deputy Chief Censor Ms Nicola McCully, still hold office following the expiry of her term of office?
13. When does the Minister envision calling for nominations for the position of Chief Censor, currently held by Mr Bill Hastings, which becomes vacant later this year?
14. Does the law allow the Minister to reappoint eight board members so that they are able to hold the postion for a continuous period exceeding six years, as has been done with respect to five of the board members reappointed?
Yours sincerely
David Lane
(Secretary)
Mike Petrus (President)
Graham Fox (Vice President)
The Dominion Post
May 9 2006 (p. A4)
By ANNA CHALMERS
The reappointment of a government censorship board has been met with dismay by a community watchdog, which has called the process a “sham”.
Internal Affairs Minister Rick Barker announced yesterday that all eight existing members of the Film and Literature Board of Review would stay on.
But Society for the Promotion of Community Standards spokesman David Lane said the appointments contradicted the Films, Videos, and Publications Classification Act, which stipulated members could not serve on the board for more than six years.
After the reappointment of president Claudia Elliott till March 31, 2009, she, and other members, would have served up to nine years, Mr Lane said.
“It’s completely against the spirit of the law. This is just another rush decision by a minister who does not follow proper processes.”
Jobs for all but one of the nine members of the board expired in May 2004 after an initial three-year term. The Government has already come under fire for the two-year gap in reappointing members, or making replacements.
A spokesman for Mr Barker said the members’ term of office had been taken into consideration. “The department will have made the consideration against the legislative requirements. It would have been satisfied that it would have been okay for the minister to go ahead.”
The spokesman said reappointment delays had been caused by a review of the act, which included considering reducing board numbers, followed by the election last year.
Source: http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/0,2106,3661743a11,00.html
Link to an announcement just made by the Minister’s office
see: http://www.beehive.govt.nz/ViewDocument.aspx?DocumentID=25672
Hon Rick Barker Announces Appointments to the NZ Film and Literature Board of Review
Hon Rick Barker
8/05/06
Internal Affairs Minister Rick Barker has announced appointments to the Film and Literature Board of Review.
http://www.beehive.govt.nz/ViewDocument.aspx?DocumentID=25672
The Film and Literature Board of Review is a statutory appeal body. It examines publications already classified by the Office of Film and Literature Classification (the Chief Censor’s Office). Each publication is examined without regard to the initial classification.
“On 31 May 2004 the terms of eight members of the Film and Literature Board of Review expired. Changes to relevant legislation and the 2005 General Election caused considerable delays in the appointment process for these positions. The eight members agreed to remain in office until such time as the appointment process could be completed.