Politicians in Australia aren’t usually held in high esteem by the general populace. It should come as some wonder, then, that anyone should want to step into those shark-infested waters. Given that an election is a good time to try and push a law reform agenda, and there’s a particular reform that’s quite important to the gaming community and we’d rather that it didn’t get forgotten in a potential government change, I decided to have a chat with one of the candidates in the upcoming Queensland ballot about this critical issue.

Nick: You’re a relative newcomer to the political scene, aren’t you? Could you tell us a bit about who you are and what you stand for?

Charlene: I’m Charlene Phillips, independent candidate for Toowoomba South. I’m fully backed and endorsed by the Australian Sex Party. We’re a political response to the sexual needs of Australians. We also stand for freedom of speech and freedom of sexual expression, which are the main hallmarks of fair and democratic nations.

Nick: There’s a bit of a tendency to associate the Australian Sex Party as just being about sex. What are some misconceptions that people have about the role of the ASP?

Charlene: People tend to think that we’re just about sex, just out to help the sex industry, and it’s just not the case. The ASP was borne from small business, and we’re quite heavily about cutting taxes and getting some incentives out there to help small business grow and thrive. Competition is good for business, after all. Additionally, we’re not just out there for gay people, we’re here for everyone, so that people can go about their lives as they choose, and not be nannied or vilified for their choices.

Nick: The ASP isn’t, as you say, just about sex, it’s quite libertarian in many aspects. The one that’s probably closest to our readers’ hearts is the R18+ classification for games issue. What’s your view on it?

Charlene: I think that we certainly need R and X ratings for games in Australia, absolutely. It’s a double-standard that needs immediate correction. The main problem, as I see it, is that not having the classifications present means that young people are potentially accessing material that’s unsuitable for their age group, simply because unsuitable content has been shoehorned into the incorrect classification bracket. When you’re above the age of consent, it’s a completely different story, but when you’re a minor, that’s just not cool. It’s something that we’re definitely trying to work on at the moment, we’re trying to protect kids from content that would be harmful to them, without restricting the rights of adults to view that same material if they so choose.

Nick: Quite a few politicians come from backgrounds of law, economics or international relations. There would surely be some who’d say that you’re not quite the right person for the job, in light of the fact that you don’t have a background in any of those areas. How would you address these concerns?

Charlene: I’m certainly the right person for the job, because I’m one of the regular, everyday people. I’ve never earned more than $35k per annum, I work a 9 to 5 job, just like the average Australia, inbetween rich and poor. I’m one of the regular working class, I know how tough it can be sometimes. I’m one of the 90% of Australians, and I’m here to represent the interests of my electorate.

Nick: Is there anything that you’d like to say to the general public? Completely unscripted, unprompted?

Charlene: When I’m elected, I just want to be the voice for Toowoomba South. Politicians are elected for the people, by the people, and I don’t think that anyone’s personal opinions are any more or less important than anyone else’s. If you can do the job properly and adequately, it shouldn’t be an issue of being academically ‘qualified’ for the job.

Nick: Charlene Phillips, thanks for your time.

Charlene: It’s been a pleasure speaking with you.

Nick Walls is a hard-of-hearing sociologist, disabled rights advocate, avid knitter and cat person. Some say that he has a desperate love for rhubarb crumble, and some say that if he ran a 24 hour news channel, he’d tell all of his camerapeople in advance to include a sign-language interpreter in a shot. His Twitter and Backloggery can be found here and here respectively.

Source: The Tigers Den