The film “Baise-Moi” came to be classified prior to its mainstream cinema release in NZ by a route which suggests a “curious case of censorship collusion” involving the importer/ ‘distributor’, Chief Censor Mr Bill Hastings and the CEO of the FVLB Mr Bill Hood. This curious case of apparent collusion involving a NZ film distributor and the heads of two supposedly independent statutory censorship authorities – Mr Bill Hastings and Mr Bill Hood – raises serious questions about the robustness and independence of our NZ censorship system.
Government Censorship Bill on Objectionable Content Has Problems
Media Release 13 May 2004
The Society presented its concerns today to the Government and Administration Committee over the Films, Videos, and Publications Classification Amendment Bill – a Government Bill. Society president Mike Petrus, who attended, says:
"The Society has consistently opposed moves to alter the Films, Videos and Publications Classification Act ("the Act") in any way that would allow so-called "hate speech" to be smuggled into censorship law as an additional jurisdictional "gateway" in s. 3(1) of the Act. We are concerned that this option, which is opposed by the Ministry of Justice, could open up the censorship laws as a potential vehicle to suppress the dissemination of information and opinion.
Campaign to Change TV Adult Only "Watershed" to 9.30 p.m.
Press Release 5 August 2005
Campaign to Change TV Adult Only "Watershed" to 9.30 p.m.
http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO0508/S00073.htm
The Society is supporting a national Campaign to have the "watershed" time for the broadcasting of Adults Only (AO) television programmes moved from 8.30 p.m. to 9.30 p.m. It is calling on the public to make this an election issue by contacting their local MPs and urging them to get their respective parties to make a public commitment to the time change, as part of their election policy.