Queensland set to ban offensive Wicked Campers

Sexist, obscene and other offensive slogans on vans and vehicles, as used by Wicked Campers, are being made illegal in Queensland.

The Queensland Parliament passed the Transport Operations (Road Use Management) (Offensive Advertising) Amendment Bill 2016 on Tuesday night with the intention of ridding Queensland roads of the offensive slogans popularised by campervan hire company Wicked Campers.

Advertising on vehicles has previously been self-regulated by the industry, and action cannot be taken on complaints made to the Advertising Standards Bureau (ASB).

The Queensland laws would allow the Queensland Department of Transport and Main Roads to cancel a vehicle's registration if the owners did not remove the offending slogans within 14 days of being advised to do so by the ASB's Standards Board.

The Queensland Government introduced the laws in response to complaints about slogans displayed on holiday hire vehicles such as Wicked Camper Vans, which is based in Brisbane but operates around Australia.

Their campervans are characterised by vibrant imagery or slogans on the vehicles but have drawn criticism for some of the messages.

Queensland Main Roads Minister Mark Bailey told Parliament the changes would take effect from next month, advising “offensive advertising includes advertising that uses obscene language, that is degrading, that deals inappropriately with sex or violence or very importantly that discriminates against or vilifies any section of the community.”

With no similar laws in other states, Wicked Campers might now get around the legislation be registering their vehicles in other states.

However, Queensland Attorney General Yvette D'Ath sees that other states are looking at potentially developing their own legislation, adding "I do believe it's an initiative that we do need to see rolled out in other jurisdictions, because we know this is only part of the solution.”

Anna McCormack from the group Wicked Pickets, which has protested against the van slogans, said the Queensland Government's decision was a step in the right direction, stating "at the moment in Queensland, it's unlawful to vilify on the grounds of race, religion, sexuality or gender identity ... but it's not unlawful to vilify on the grounds of sex, which means women and girls are still fair game.

"We're happy that they've seen the Wicked campervan slogans as inappropriate and the dangers of those slogans in promoting rape culture.

"A lot of misogynist advertising is much more subtle, but these ones are so very obvious that people from a whole range of groups were outraged by them.” 

Image: Facebook.