Australian Penthouse

NEW South Wales police raids on Sydney adult stores across the long weekend is proof that the Federal Government is beholden to the interests of the Christian right, according to Australian Sex Party President, Fiona Patten.

“I challenge the Premier, the Police Commissioner and Independents in the parliament to deny that their religious beliefs are contributing to this moral crusade,” said Ms Patten.

In the past three weeks, police raids have been carried out on two Kings Cross adult shops and an X-rated DVD warehouse in the Sydney inner west suburb of Marrickville. The raids closed the shops, and 90 per cent of stock was seized. Though the sale of X-rated material has been illegal in NSW for some time, it is a ban that has rarely been enforced by authorities.

Fifteen officers spent a day breaking open tills and safes and commandeering shop records, at an estimated cost of $100,000 to the taxpayer. The raids are the most recent move in an intensifying backlash against adult entertainment.

A Sydney adult shop owner was sentenced to jail in May for selling federally classified X rated films judged by Commonwealth censors as suitable for all Australians.

“The NSW police have spent millions of dollars this year pursuing adult retailers, where this money should have been spent on solving murders and dealing with assault and property crimes,” claims Ms Patten.

Greens MLC Lee Rhiannon has also spoken out against the current state of legislation in NSW. “I struggle to think of a less productive use of NSW Police’s valuable time than having fifteen officers spend an entire day confiscating material that is legal for the public to own,” she said.

Ms Rhiannon said the currently ambiguous regulation of X-rated material was needless, and forced the material out of adults-only premises and into places like newsagents and petrol stations. “It doesn’t make sense for the sale of non-violent erotica to be illegal, given that it is legal to possess it. Non-violent erotica is classified as containing consensual sexually explicit activity between adults. It does not contain violence or coercion, nor does it depict people under 18 years of age,” she said.

But the Attorney-General’s office, and the Christian Democrats MLC Fred Nile, do not consider the ban to be ambiguous or unnecessary.

“This approach maintains the position against pornography, but avoids the outcome of criminalising visitors from the Australian Capital Territory and Northern Territory,” an Attorney-General spokesperson said.

Mr Nile said he wanted to take it a step further.

“Pornography, especially material that is currently illegal, is exploitative, disempowering and degrading to women and children, not to mention the significant harm it can inflict as a conditioning catalyst for sexual assault,” he said.

Mr Nile said he would be introducing a Bill to have the possession of X-rated material banned.

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