AU R18+ Rating Plans Put On Hold Due To "Interest Groups"

Dexter Herbivore writes "Australian gamers are yet again left disappointed by their government's response to a lack of an R18+ rating for games. Gamespot reports that Home Affairs Minister Brendan O'Connor has blamed 'interest groups' for swamping the public consultation with pro-R18+ submissions. From the article: 'A strong response from gamer groups in the Australian Federal Government's R18+ public consultation has led Censorship Ministers to claim that more views from the community are needed before a decision into the introduction of an R18+ classification for video games can be reached.'" Reader UgLyPuNk adds that support for the new rating is coming from unexpected places.

Comments

"interest Groups"

[mr_mischief]

• hypocrites running a nanny state because "think of the children" usually works at the polls
• puritan hypocrites who want to live in a "free" country but who don't want people with different tastes to really be free
• regulators and bureaucrats who really like high-paying government jobs and the ability to push people around with the support of elected bodies
• crooks who don't think their bribes from the game lobby are big enough yet
• a few lazy parents who don't want to keep track of what their kids bring home for themselves

Yeah, I can imagine there are a few "interest groups" involved.

Re:"interest Groups"

[LordAndrewSama]

Maybe they should spend time with their children and instill in them the values and morals they want their children to have, rather than campaigning for something to be illegal. because, if they spend all their time making something illegal instead of teaching their children that it's wrong, their children will do the newly illegal thing and end up in jail.

Also, the problem with asking the govt for help is that the govt will not only help them, but all of us, and I don't goddamn want the govt to help me. Especially because someone else is whining that they can't cope with the responsibility of raising a child.

Yes, they are bad parents.

As for surveillance, It's totally unnecessary. if you don't trust your child to behave appropriately(yes, and even make mistakes and learn from them) you didn't raise him very well and no amount of surveillance will fix that.

Re:Just a little bias from the minister

[Merls the Sneaky]

It's called policy based evidence.

The government only likes certain interest groups

[Freaky Spook]

The ACL(Australian Christian Lobby) jumps up and down and pretty much every politician is falling over themselves to appease them

The lobby groups for Gaming launch an incredibly successful campaign for R18+ gaming to the point they manage to get 85 000 people to fill a survey out for the government, and the government calls it rigged.

The ACL claims to be a representative of Australian Christians, but every Christian I know thinks they are a bunch of ultra-conservative bastards who want to force the entire country to adhere to their very narrow view on what is and is not ok.

Re:shock at response.

[Zironic]

They apparently had forms in their store the customers could fill out and EB would mail it in for them.

Re:Like XKCD on roids!

[Anonymous Coward]

The last panel in the strip is replaced by Mr. Anus. When there's only one panel, it's all goatse. This makes for some rather startlingly funny and sometimes appropriate comic strips:

http://goatkcd.com/598/
http://goatkcd.com/600/
http://goatkcd.com/613/
http://goatkcd.com/627/
http://goatkcd.com/631/
http://goatkcd.com/645/
http://goatkcd.com/663/
http://goatkcd.com/702/
http://goatkcd.com/714/
http://goatkcd.com/717/