Global Action

Media broadcasting and censorship regulations must reflect the values of the whole community, not just vocal, self interested, minorities or publicity seeking artists or entrepreneurs. These laws must protect the community against offensive material, but at the same time permit genuine creative and artistic expression.

Community values and perceptions in matters of censorship have changed over the past few decades and with the advent of popular new mass access technologies will continue to do so. This has allowed material that would hitherto have not received a wide audience, or any audience at all, to be widely available to people of all ages.

Global Action (Australia) believes that essential human values such as the need for decency and to protect children never change.

While supporting the growth of free and responsible expression in the arts GLOBAL ACTION (AUSTRALIA) notes a corrosive erosion of our value system by vested interest groups and will examine the need either for new laws or the proper policing of existing ones, particularly to control obscene and under age material.

Sections of the arts community often find themselves at loggerheads with the broader community and while artists may indeed create art, the community as a whole views those creations and therefore has a right to demand the removal of material deemed to be offensive, tasteless or pornographic.

Of particular concern is the effect of obscene or offensive material on the behaviour, attitudes, and values of our children during their formative years.

While not wishing to return to the draconian days of CENSORSHIP, Global Action (Australia) will seek to inject a more balanced 'community values' mix into those organisations that oversee and regulate arts and the media.

Because free to air and pay television networks command such large audiences they have a special responsibility to the community and they will be required to lift their game. For example: The recent axing of the show Big Brother was not something that should have been left to the network or audience apathy, such inane rubbish should never have gone to air in the first place.