The Mackay Regional Council finds itself at the centre of a heated debate concerning the delicate balance between providing unfettered access to educational resources in libraries and safeguarding children from potentially explicit or inappropriate content.
The recent assertions by the "Worldwide Rally For Freedom Mackay" group, led by Tine McDonald, underscore a growing concern about the presence of what they term as pornographic literature within local libraries. This contentious issue pits the imperative to protect young library users from accessing sensitive material against the principles of information access and freedom, emphasising the need for a delicate equilibrium between these vital aspects.
Key spokesperson Tine McDonald expressed her concerns at a Mackay Regional Council ordinary meeting, standing up in the public gallery saying, "Today I draw attention to the fact that it appears not one member of council is prepared to take on the fight for our children." McDonald further highlighted the lack of concern displayed by the council towards explicit content in libraries, even detailing explicit excerpts from books, leading to a pause in the live feed.
“Not one of you can say you are unaware of the pornographic literature available to our children in the Mackay Regional Libraries, because we have sat here displaying the images, enlarged and in full colour, and each of you have received emails regarding this issue, but you didn’t seem to think these graphics offensive at all,” she said.
Highlighting the Commonwealth Classification Act of 1995, McDonald emphasised the responsibility of publishers, including those making material available to the public, to have potentially offensive content classified. McDonald accused the council of subjecting children to explicit material, a notion she equated with child grooming, stressing the need for zero tolerance towards such exposure.
McDonald questioned, “I know that many of you have children and grandchildren which leads me to wonder about your level of concern. These are your flesh and blood and I can’t believe you are not concerned that they are being exposed to this filth?”
She accused councillors of putting their pay packets before the welfare of local children.
“You get one shot at raising your precious children, don’t waste it for a pay packet. There is life outside of council,” she added.
“It takes a village to raise a child and, in my opinion, this village is doing a damnable job.”
Responding to these issues, Community and Client Services director Janine McKay said the Worldwide Rally for Freedom Mackay group had raised concerns about certain publications in Mackay Libraries and council, including CEO Scott Owen, had responded to them on multiple occasions.
She said council took its obligations to provide library users and staff with a safe environment, free from exposure to unlawful material or unacceptable threats, extremely seriously.
“All items at council’s Libraries are made available in line with recommended age range ratings, and we work diligently to ensure that items made available are compliant with all advice guidelines.
“Council does not have any publications available that contravene Classification Review Board advice.”
Ms McKay said as a condition of Libraries membership, any children under 15 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian when joining the library.
She said parents or guardians were responsible for items borrowed by those junior members.
“We acknowledge that not all publications will be suitable for, or accepted by, all library members. However, accessing them is a personal choice.
“It is important that libraries provide an unbiased source of knowledge, information, and ideas through a comprehensive and balanced collection.
“Library collections must be as diverse as the community they serve.”
In their response, the council reiterated their dedication to maintaining balanced and diverse library collections, promoting access to knowledge, information, and ideas while underscoring the personal responsibility involved in accessing library resources.
This exchange has spotlighted the balancing act between the right to access information and the responsibility to protect young library users from potentially sensitive or explicit content.
Tine McDonald holding literature available from local libraries saying the “pornographic” material should not be able to be accessed by children
Publishers Indemnity. Any individual or entity that places advertising, supplies copy material, or submits editorial content to Core Life Publishing agrees and undertakes to ensure that all such material:- Does not infringe upon any copyright, trademark, or other intellectual property rights;- Is free from any content that could be considered defamatory, libelous, or slanderous;- Does not infringe upon any rights related to privacy or breach of confidence;- Contains no obscene, indecent, or otherwise unlawful material;- Complies fully with the Trade Practices Act and all other applicable laws, regulations, or statutes.Furthermore, by submitting or placing such material, these individuals or entities agree to indemnify and hold harmless the publisher, Core Publishing and Events Pty Ltd, and/or its agents from and against any and all investigations, claims, demands, liabilities, damages, costs, or judgments arising out of or in connection with the material provided. All material is believed to be accurate at the time of printing and remains the copyright of Core Publishing and Events Pty Ltd.
© 2024 Mackay and Whitsunday Life Pty Ltd.
