ACT Is The First Territory To Pass R18+ Legislation



With R18+ Legislation successfully passed through Federal government, all that’s left is for each state to put through its own separate legislation in order to prepare for the R18+ classification’s January 2013 start date. Yesterday it was announced that ACT was the first territory to pass that legislation.

According to the ABC, the legislation passed with complete tri-partisan support.

“This is about making sure that adults are able to view and play and read what they wish as long as it does not do harm to others,” said ACT’s Attorney General Simon Corbell.

“An R18+ classification ensures that adults can access adult material in computer game form, but at the same time protecting children under the age of 18 from that material.”

ACT was the first to set its own legislation in motion, actually moving forward before the Federal bill was amended, now its up to the rest of the states to follow suit.

But according Jane Fitzgerald, all state parliaments have agreed to the timetable — with some states “very advanced” in their own progress.

“All censorship ministers have agreed on the timetable,” said Fitgerald, earlier this year, “so I’m operating on the assumption that they’ll all get the job done,” said Jane. “We know, from keeping in touch with our state and territory based colleagues that people are at various stages of advancement with getting the legislation drafted to be passed. All of the jurisdictions have sitting period in the second half of the year, so they can all potentially get it done.”

What happens if they don’t?

“I’m choosing for the moment, to operate on the basis that it’ll be done. So let’s cross that bridge when we hopefully don’t come to it!”