Atkinson issues a challenge

PALGN News | Wants you to run against him.

Many gamers are familiar with South Australian Attorney-General Michael Atkinson due to his opposition to an R18+ rating for games.

Mr Atkinson has once again publicized those views, this time in the form of a letter to a South Australian newspaper.

Kotaku Australia has played both reporter and recipient in this slightly strange series of correspondence. Atkinson's initial letter, which appeared in the Adelaide Advertiser in response to a gamer's letter to the same paper, is reproduced in its entirety below:

Quote:

Face the real world
A Queensland letter writer (The Advertiser, 7/3/09) claims that democracy is at an end because I, as Attorney-General, will not agree to an R18+ category for interactive computer games; that "every other state AG is against him"; and the only way to bring back democracy is to vote me out at the next election. It is true that I am opposed to an R18+ category for interactive games, but I am one of at least four Attorneys so opposed.

I welcome a challenge in my electorate of Croydon at the next general election on this issue.
Among my constituents are hundreds of refugees who are trying to find lodgings for the family, gain employment and sponsor relatives from the old country.

Their vote is hardly likely to hinge on the "right" to score gamer points on the computer screen by running down and killing pedestrians on the pavement, raping a mother and her two daughters, blowing onself up in a market, cutting people in half with large calibre shells, injecting drugs to win an athletics event or killing a prostitute to recover the fee one just paid her (Welcome to the world of R18+ computer games).
Those of my constituents who are refugees have been subjected to the practical instead of the virtual suffering that R18+ nerds seek to inflict for their gratification on the computer screen.

MICHAEL ATKINSON,

Attorney-General, Adelaide.

Consequently, 57-year-old gamer Terry O'Shanassy responded with a rather efficient dismantling of Mr Atkinson's arguments, which can be seen here.

The Attorney-General made another response, this time directly to Kotaku. While he ignores Mr. O'Shanassy's points entirely and indeed all points relevant to the R18+ argument, he does expand on several other items, including a personal challenge to run against him in 2010. Anybody up for it?

Related Content

Michael Atkinson explains his stance on a R rating for games
28 Jan, 2009 He hasn't changed his mind.

R18+ rating discussion paper to be released
08 Nov, 2008 It's a start.

Public to decide on R18+ rating
28 Mar, 2008 After Ministers fail to agree.

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25 Comments

Starman

10 months ago

quote="PALGN"]running down and killing pedestrians on the pavement, raping a mother and her two daughters, blowing onself up in a market, cutting people in half with large calibre shells, injecting drugs to win an athletics event or killing a prostitute to recover the fee one just paid her[/quote]

That dude is blowing everything way out of proportion. Maybe he should or we should write to certain companies and actually find out if there was a r18+ rating, what would be implemented to these games?[

Pilliy

10 months ago

Maybe we should tell him that these "Nerds" and violent people are the ones that manage his bank account, his electricity, his paycheques. These people have no idea about games. They just see a violent thing and presume that's what we all act like.

Eyce

10 months ago

Benza

10 months ago

Pilliy wrote

Maybe we should tell him that these "Nerds" and violent people are the ones that manage his bank account, his electricity, his paycheques.

How ya goin there Tyler Durden?

matrix-cat

10 months ago

If only the voters in his constituent knew what a childish and mean-spirited letter that 'challenge' really is.

ObsoletE

10 months ago

Michael Atkinson wrote

Alas, one cannot stand for Parliament anonymously, so any contenders will have to supply a real name and street address, not a pseudonym and an email address.

i have to give him credit for that line, it's actually quite funny.

holyhazza

10 months ago

Benza wrote

How ya goin there Tyler Durden?

bahahaha. I lol'd at the allusion.

renegadesx

10 months ago

Eyce wrote

GOLD!

Fly

10 months ago

If only I were in SA or even liked the state to begin with, such is life unless anyone wants to be generous enough to fund my move and campaign, it's for a good cause!

franky573

10 months ago

Benza wrote

How ya goin there Tyler Durden?

i can safely say thats the biggest laugh i've had all week.

lennex15

10 months ago

If your South Australian and think this guy is a justifiable representative of the mainstream views in his electorate and adequately reflects the community sentiment on law in South Australia then I'm in alternate reality.

This guy is the most out of touch , most ill informed, the worst form of fear monger i have come across. Another Australian politician that belongs in the same refuse dump as Pauline Hanson.

Either he was born in Maralinga which accounts for his reduced thought capacity or he wasn't breast fed and wants to make everyone's life less enjoyable.

Suetekh

10 months ago

That is a great letter from Terry, its a pity that it will fall on deaf ears.

TerryO

10 months ago

"i have to give him credit for that line, it's actually quite funny."

Maybe it would be, if it wasn't a peurile slight/sidestep aimed at an article which carried my real name. My everyday online nick is quite different.

Nic_231

10 months ago

Sigh.
The following is what I wish I could write:
Fantastic response Mr. Atkinson. Addresses all the points of your opponentâ€™s arguments succinctly and logically. Provides sufficient intellectual redress that is sure to give me grounds for further thought regarding my support for an R18+ game rating. Exactly what I have come to except from our duly elected officials, assures my faith in democracy.
The following is closer to the truth:
Good job Mr. Atkinson. Fantastic strawman arguments and hyperbolic appeals to emotion. Many of us who support an R18+ rating do so to keep the very same content you mention out of the hands of children. As for your reference to Rapelay, that is a game that simply would not pass Australian censors (nor should it) with or without an R18+ rating, though I am sure the very mention its existence will inflame the minds of the uninformed satisfactorily. Might I say that your abysmal popularist tactics sicken me. I would expect far better from a well educated representative of the people.
But in answer to your question, no, you should not hold any position of elected office. Your response shows that you are unable to duly consider the facts at your disposal. Instead you simply to provide any semblance of a decent argument concerning the issues at hand and simply appeal to completely unrelated emotional issues. Your position on the rating of video games has absolutely no bearing on the residency of immigrants. Any other could provide these benefits and pursue a reasonable and well though out video game censorship program. However, this kind of avoidance and quite frankly cowardice is something we have come to expect from our elected officials, I seriously expected that an Attorney General might be able to do just a little better.
While there have been musing that you are 'not the only one' who stands against an R18+ rating, I would really like to see these others come forth. If they are as ignorant in their ways as you and refuse to see gaming as a valid medium that is here to stay then I would love to see them put their money where their mouth is rather than using a subpar mouth piece such as yourself.

Nic_231

10 months ago

And on a more petty level:

PALGN wrote

It is true that I am opposed to an R18+ category for interactive games

PALGN wrote

Their vote is hardly likely to hinge on the "right" to score gamer points on the computer screen by running down and killing pedestrians on the pavement, raping a mother and her two daughters, blowing onself up in a market, cutting people in half with large calibre shells, injecting drugs to win an athletics event or killing a prostitute to recover the fee one just paid her (Welcome to the world of R18+ computer games).

Notice the 'subtle' use of "interactive games" and "computer games" here. The 'intelligent' term used from his perspective and the common term used by us heathens after a paragraph of negative association. Pure trash journalism tactics.

skrob73

10 months ago

I've said this before, we have R18 games here in New Zealand just as with most of the world, these are the same games(sometimes yours are slightly toned down) Australians are playing with MA15 ratings, we have no games with ****, or suicide bombings. The only difference here is you have to be 18 to buy a game like GTA or Gears, this Atkinson bloke in question is terribly misinformed as to how the gaming industry works nowadays. What company would possible risk suggesting such radical ideas for it's title and possible hope to raise the huge amount of capitol required to build a modern day game? And if they did they wouldn't ever do so again, further more surely these ideas are to radical even for R18. I'll tell you where you'll the kind of games this ignoramus is worried about: 'Flash' games, generally free and uncensored(able), being only downloadable titles.

"injecting drugs to win athletics event" WTF? Unless I'm mistaken there's no Sonic and Mario get Stoned at the Winter games being released anywhere on anything anytime soon. Come on Aussies you've played enough games to know the only way to get through to his type is take him on a little drive GTA style, or maybe some suggestive mind tricks using the dark side.

NO I've got it, maybe with a Boomshot Grenade Launcher someone can explain how things REALLY are.... Oops sorry, got carried away there didn't I, the line between reality and entertainment have become sooooo blurry of late, must be all these R18 games I've been playing....

The Genius

10 months ago

Baaaaaah!!!!

Artkinson is the kind of person who couldn't careless how well thought out your argument is against his. He will stick to his guns. I gave up on him ages ago.

Plus most seasoned voters are not even aware and don't even care about the R18 issue or video games for that matter and so those are the one Artinkson is banking on for re-election.

Fetidchimp

10 months ago

skrob73 wrote

He means blitz the league for the drug injecting i believe, where you can "juice" your players with all types of drugs. I managed to complete the entire game without "juicing" once however, so it isn't something you are forced to do in it.
(oh blitz is banned here, but not in new zealand i am pretty sure, you mature minded bastards you. Ah an 18 year old kiwi is regarded as more sane by his government than a 35 year old australian is by his, yay)

Him crapping on about rapelay though is pointless, it would never get a rating here even if we had 30+ ratings so i don't get that. Apart from the usual political maxim of, lets tell people who are outside of that group a massive exaggeration to get them onside.

And for atkinson issuing a challenge, are we all going to his house to play spot the brain cell. A goat, a goat with an aqualung.

Skiller

10 months ago

Some one please mail Mr. Atkinson the disc for House of the Dead: Overkill. It's rated MA15+ in Australia but on the disc you can clearly see that it's rated 18+ in the UK. If he actually happens to play the game he'll be forced to admit he is wrong because IMO there is no way it shouldn't be rated 18+ and that it's being forced to MA15+ is clearly the opposite of his intent.

Edit: Actually now that I think about it his intent might secretly really be to let all this kids get R18+ rated games, no idea why he'd wan't that but the only other explanation I can think of for his stance on things is brain damage.

waz79

10 months ago

Jack Thompsons law just passed in Utah btw

mattstep

10 months ago

Has there been any progress on PALGN's push to get an R18+ classification? It seems like there are some big plans in the pipeline, but nothing much has been said for a while...

Black Wolf

10 months ago

The sooner we get that ignorant buffoon out of office, the better.

Qbert

10 months ago

I don't so much mind the small minded guy ruling over the "diverse" area of Adelaide, just don't try and rule over the country, the vast majority of us are stupid enough to vote for you. He's obviously enjoying his power trip.

And this challenge thing is stupid. I have no idea, he might have done a lot of good things for his area of Adelaide and no one is certainly going to vote for someone running against him who doesn't give a **** about Adelaide, just wants one thing passed, and nor should they, it would be selfish to run. Well I would 100% as it's the lesser of 2 evils, but it would be silly.

Fly

10 months ago

Qbert wrote

Happens more frequently than you might think, certain politicians all have their 1 focal point to try and draw votes that they then get elected upon (Xenophon and the Murry Darling system, Hansen and her immigration policy, the Greens and, well green stuff) so if say someone were to run simply for an overhaul of the classification system for Media & Communication (or whatever the portfolio would be) they'd have a very realistic chance of getting elected, especially if they manage to catch the popular vote.

Ultimately however, anyone would also need to match him on his own offerings or put forth viable alternatives, and politics being what they are experience beats out "youth" 80% of the time.

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