FC: Australian sex industry threatens revenge on MPs, from Independent

[Declan McCullagh <declan () well com>]

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/World/Australasia/2000-04/aussiesex260400.shtml

Australian sex industry threatens revenge on MPs
By Kathy Marks in Sydney

26 April 2000

It is the type of threat to make a politician shiver, and
certainly not with pleasure. The Australian sex industry
yesterday warned MPs opposed to a relaxation in the
classification of X-rated videos that it would make it a
political issue in marginal constituencies.

The Eros Foundation, the industry's lobby group, said it was
prepared to use its extensive mailing list in an aggressive
campaign to target subscribers in marginal seats held by
politicians from the right-wing, rural-based National Party.

The National Party, which governs Australia in coalition with
the conservative Liberal Party of the Prime Minister John
Howard, is resisting moves to change the X-rating of videos to
"non-violent erotica". They want the word erotica replaced with
the more loaded term, pornography.

Robbie Swan, a spokesman for Eros made plain yesterday that
theirs was no idle threat. "I think there are a number of
National Party MPs in marginal electorates, such as Larry
Anthony, who wouldn't want this brought up as a political
issue," he said. He said Mr Anthony's marginal seat in northern
New South Wales contained 4,797 purchasers of sex products ­ 6.2
per cent of the electorate. "And when you think that most of
those buyers are in a relationship with someone, that figure
doubles," Mr Swan said, somewhat optimistically. In total, he
said, there were 1.1 million Australians who could be targeted
with political information by the industry within 48 hours.

[...]

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