Sponsor: Greater Murray YMCA
Refuter: St Josephs College Ferntree Gully
TOUGHER CENSORSHIP ON ADVERTISEMENTS TO INHIBIT THE SEX
CULTURE
BRIEF
Children are sexually maturing at a diabolical rate in today's society, which is
creditable to the way that companies are overusing sexualisation in advertisements
to increase the attraction of their products. The growing sex culture prevalent in
today’s society has a harmful effect on the youth of Victoria. Although there are
current censorship restrictions in place and the governing body, the Advertising
Standards Bureau, works to regulate advertisements and evaluate complaints
regarding the taste and decency of commercials, the Victorian Government is yet to
implement any legislation to protect young people from such salacious advertising.
Racy billboards, scandalous magazines and indecent radio and television
promotions are contributing significantly to the growing sex culture amongst young
people.1 The innocence of many young children is being compromised in many
ways, especially when they are continually being confronted with perturbing
inappropriate advertisements.
This Bill shall ultimately help to preserve the innocence of young people that are
already endangered in the 21st century.2 The enforcement of restrictions on
television, radio and billboard advertisements, as well as strict guidelines in regard to
the placement of adult magazines in retail outlets shall begin to resolve the current
inadequacies that exist in advertising in Victoria.
‘Rape: What should I do?’ (2011) The Nemours Foundation http://kidshealth.org/teen/safety/safebasics/rape_what_to_do.html
(accessed 7 June 2011)
2
‘Awareness: MAKO’ (2011) http://www.mako.org.au/home.html (accessed 4 June 2011)
1
Sponsor: Greater Murray YMCA
Refuter: St Josephs College Ferntree Gully
A Bill for an Act relating to Tougher Censorship on Advertisements to Inhibit
the Sex Culture
To be enacted by the Victorian Youth Parliament;
Clause 1:
Part I
Purpose
This Bill shall be cited as Tougher Censorship on Advertisements to
Inhibit the Sex Culture Bill.
Clause 2:
Commencement
This Bill shall commence six months after it receives assent from the
Youth Governor of Victoria.
Clause 3:
Interpretation
In this Bill, unless the contrary intention appears;
Advertising shall constitute the mediums of television, billboards,
magazines and radio
AEST shall mean Australian Eastern Standard Time
Censorship shall be the complete eradication of any sexually explicit
material, no matter how mild
Sex culture shall be in reference to the growing number of youth in
Victoria that are (whether consciously or subconsciously) acting in a
salacious manner
Sexually explicit material shall mean any reference to the act of
copulation; sexual innuendos shall be included in this category
Part II
Clause 4:
Tougher regulations on censorship in advertising shall commence to
halt the sex culture prevalent amongst Victorian youth.
Clause 5:
The Advertising Standards Bureau shall be responsible for the
supervision and therefore censorship of all advertisements in the state
of Victoria.
Clause 6:
Retail outlets shall not place magazines containing sexually explicit
material in close proximity to children's magazines without appropriate
warning.
6.1
Appropriate warnings shall constitute distinct signs cautioning
that the following item contains material not appropriate to those
under the age of 18
Clause 7:
No billboards shall make any reference whatsoever to any sexually
explicit material.
Clause 8:
Television shall only be allowed to exhibit salacious advertising
between 9pm and 6am AEST.
Sponsor: Greater Murray YMCA
Refuter: St Josephs College Ferntree Gully
Clause 9:
Tougher restrictions on radio advertising must be adhered to between
the hours of 7am and 9pm, whereby no sexual innuendos or reference
to sexual acts may be aired.
Sponsor: Greater Murray YMCA
Refuter: St Josephs College Ferntree Gully
Amendment 1: I move to amend Clause 5 by inserting sub-clause “5.1 The Australian Standard
Bureau shall re-examine the current guidelines on conjunction with the new tougher
censorship of advertisements” so that the Clause shall now read:
Clause 5:
The Advertising Standards Bureau shall be responsible for the
supervision and therefore censorship of all advertisements in the state
of Victoria.
5.1
The Australian Standard Bureau shall re-examine the current
guidelines on conjunction with the new tougher censorship of
advertisements.
Amendment 2: I move to amend Clause 3 by inserting the new interpretation “Frequent meetings
shall mean that the mentors and Year 6 students shall meet twice weekly. The length
of each meeting shall be decided upon by both participating schools to ensure that
the meetings are in accordance to each school’s timetable and lesson plans” so that
the Clause shall now read:
Clause 3:
Interpretation
In this Bill, unless the contrary intention appears;
Advertising shall constitute the mediums of television, billboards,
magazines and radio
AEST shall mean Australian Eastern Standard Time
Censorship shall be the complete eradication of any sexually explicit
material, no matter how mild
Frequent meetings shall mean that the mentors and Year 6 students
shall meet twice weekly. The length of each meeting shall be decided
upon by both participating schools to ensure that the meetings are in
accordance to each school’s timetable and lesson plans
Sex culture shall be in reference to the growing number of youth in
Victoria that are (whether consciously or subconsciously) acting in a
salacious manner
Sexually explicit material shall mean any reference to the act of
copulation; sexual innuendos shall be included in this category
Amendment 3: I move to amend Clause 2 by removing the words “six months” between the words
“commence” and “after” and inserting the words “one year” so that the Clause shall
read:
Clause 2:
Commencement
This Bill shall commence six months after it receives assent from the
Youth Governor of Victoria.