With the Federal Election just a fortnight away, Gamespot quizzed the Labor Party, the Liberal/National Coalition and the Australian Greens on a range of topics close to the heart of gamers around the country.
When it came to reforming our classification system, only the Greens declared unequivocal support for the introduction of an R18+ rating for games.
“It is bizarre that Australia is one of the only countries in the Western world without an adult classification for games,” says Scott Ludlam, Greens Senator for Western Australia. “We believe that a change to the classification system should occur in the next term in parliament.”
“The Greens will continue to support a campaign for R18+ for games. We also believe that the games industry and gamers have done a really good job of highlighting the issue and putting it on political agenda. We’re going to play our part in parliament and the community to make sure people know about the issue. We plan to raise this issue during our upcoming federal election campaign and make sure it is part of the debate.”
Both the Labor and Liberal spokespersons acknowledged the submissions received earlier this year during the period of public consultation on the issue, but declined to confirm their stance. Instead, both parties called for yet more consultation on the issue.
You can read the three parties’ views on classification, broadband, ‘net filtering and local development investment at the link below.
Does the Greens’ support for an R18+ affect the way you’re planning to vote at the election?
I Game and I Vote [Gamespot]
StudiodeKadent
Friday, August 6, 2010 at 9:40 PMAnother point (and I apologize for the double post), but the Greens’ claims to be against the internet filter are suspect.
Current communications minister Stephen Conroy, the man behind the current filter, receives Green preferences. Putting “1″ above the line in the “Greens” box will direct preferences to the ALP.
Secondly, the Greens candidate for the seat of Higgins is “economist” (and absolute raving anti-free-market collectivist lunatic) Clive Hamilton; one of the original proponents of ISP-level filtration in the first place.
In other words, a vote for the Greens may indeed keep Conroy in power.
If the Greens will endorse Clive Hamilton, then their claims of being against the internet filter are absolutely insincere.
Seamus Byrne
Friday, August 6, 2010 at 10:41 PMThe Hamilton related chatter in recent days has been resoundingly refuted by active, serving, actual Greens leaders. Like Ludlam, arguably the most outspoken anti-filter politician in the game.
Chris Prior
Saturday, August 7, 2010 at 2:17 AMActually, if you look at the voting ticket for the Greens in Victoria you’ll see that’s not the case: http://www.aec.gov.au/election/vic/gvt.htm#d
Of all of the Labor candidates, he is preferenced last. And while, yes, putting a 1 above the line for the Greens preferences the ALP before the Coalition, everyone is allowed to (and should) vote below the line and decide their own preferences.
Arcane Azmadi
Saturday, August 7, 2010 at 1:22 AMWell, they’ve got my vote.
But seeing as Labour is looking increasingly like a bad farce and I’d sooner slit my wrists than vote for Tony Abbot, I’d say the Greens would be getting my vote anyway.
It’s not like my vote counts for anything anyway, I live in a safe Labour seat.
Chris Prior
Saturday, August 7, 2010 at 6:16 PMIt actually can count for a lot. Putting aside the senate, the more first preferences the Greens get (and the more Labor lose) the more likely they are to recognise that it might be an idea to apply the brakes a little on the race to the right.
Crazyguy1990
Saturday, August 7, 2010 at 6:38 PMWell, I’m voting Greens. I’d rather die than see Tony Abbott as PM, and I’m sick of Labour’s internet filtering.
Mike
Saturday, August 7, 2010 at 9:11 PMThis election is kind of completely uninspiring… feels like it is only happening because it has to.
The greens well, where do we start… when it comes to serious policy’s (lets say economics) they held the government and entire senate to ransom demanding bike paths from the stimulus spending… come on, there is alot of other areas they could have directed it to… but no, australia needs bike paths! And now they are supporting an R18 rating (probably as a grab for votes)… the other 2 party’s are probably too scared to run with it because the other will use it as an opportunity to attack and all..
Then we have the other lunatics (family first, independent, etc)… I would have rather seen a double dissolution – everyones job is on the table . I’d be ashamed to be an australian if Tony is the leader… he is our sarah palin and evil lol.
As for an 18 + there is no reason we shouldnt have one already. ANd the greens say they are all for it but since when does minority parties submit and have passed in both houses any of their legislation?
Ragman
Saturday, August 7, 2010 at 10:46 PMMe thinks there better be a rethink on the greens policies.
Just for a possible support on R18+ ? No thankyou. They will send us off a cliff economically.
http://bothkindsofpolitics.org/?p=2041
Shinkada
Sunday, August 8, 2010 at 3:45 PMI’m sorry, but as much as I don’t agree with some of the more ‘extreme’ views here (ie the greens wanting to return us to the caves, courtesy of StudiodeKadent) I do agree that they only want to help the environment as long as it’s the hip thing to do. If they wanted to protect the environment they’d be behind nuclear power, the end. It’s the most likely, accessible route to clean energy, and unlike their much-loved solar and wind energies it isn’t completely inefficient to our daily lives. iirc the Greens support electric/hybrid cars, too, which is just even more hypocricy to the claim of wanting to “save the world”.
Off the subject of the Greens and on the subject of gamer votes; oh my God please don’t vote for Liberal. Even if their promises of opposing the net filter were true – which they aren’t, as soon as the election is over they’ll let it go ahead as planned because it’s the conservative thing to do – is it really worth making /bible studies mandatory in public schools/? Am I the only one who DOESN’T want to be transported back to the middle ages? I love renfairs and all but the crusades weren’t a highlight.
Just vote for the ASP, they’re running in quite a lot of areas this term as far as I know. If they’re not available, well, Greens are a good backup vote I guess. Personally I’ll vote Labor if the ASP isn’t available PURELY to stop Abbot from brainwashing the entirety of Australia’s youth for 4 years. Freaking crazy, seriously.
Whatever....
Monday, August 9, 2010 at 2:26 PMWait a sec? He wants to make bible studies mandatory?!
Well then…. there’s all the more reason to vote for labor/greens-Simply because I don’t want my country to be run by the Australian Christian Lobby(anyone with half a brain can see that Abbot is just a puppet anyways).
I’d vote for the ASP, but since they’re such a small party it doesn’t look like there’s much they could really do.
Lucas
Wednesday, August 11, 2010 at 12:14 AMGuess who just got my vote?