Bill 158, Film Classification Act, 2004
Bill 158, Film Classification Act
RCC appreciates the opportunity to provide the Standing Committee with its opinion of Bill 158, the Film Classification Act, and looks forward to working closely with officials at the Ministry of Consumer and Business Services as the regulations for this legislation are developed.
To begin, we would like to clearly state that retailers agree with the Ontario government on the policy issue of preventing the sale or rental of adult material to children. We feel that partnering with governments is the best and most effective way of reaching this goal.
Having said that, RCC is pleased to offer its support for Bill 158, the Film Classification Act. The proposed legislation is important because it would allow the Ontario Film Review Board to adopt video game classifications provided by the industry-based Entertainment Software Rating Board. This would harmonize Ontario's classification standards with other provinces, and would ensure that consumers are provided with consistent information.
With the passage last year of Bill 70, the Ministry of Consumer and Business Services Statute Law Amendment Act, the Ontario Film Review Board was given the authority to adopt the ESRB rating system, which it did so in March 2005. With Bill 158, the Board would be able to continue to have this rating system in place. This is fundamentally important as the ESRB rating system is an unbiased, standardized way to help a parent determine whether a game is appropriate for their child. It is the industry standard for North America and RCC has made it a priority that increasing awareness of the ESRB rating system must be part of any plan to help parents make more informed decisions regarding their children's entertainment choices.
Bill 158 also reflects the government's belief that when it comes to protecting children from access to video game material that is inappropriate for their age, the first and best line of defence is parental education.
Indeed, this initiative is giving consumers and parents the tools they need to understand the ESRB rating system and make informed entertainment decisions for their family. RCC's partnership with the Ontario government demonstrates our mutual commitment to working together to bring about change that consumers and parents want.
RCC, the Ontario government and most everyone share a common goal — we want parents and consumers to have the information they need to select or recommend age appropriate titles for children and youth, and we want the information we provide to be as clear and as objective as possible. Passing Bill 158 will help us to achieve this objective.