Australia is now one step closer to finally getting the R18+ rating that we gamers have been asking for thanks to an unlikely source. The South Australian (as a South Australian myself I apologize for this mans actions) Attorney General Michael Atkinson has retained his Croydon seat by a large majority but surprisingly has elected to stand down as the Attorney General. So what does this mean for us as gamers?

Well Atkinson will stay in parliament for Croydon until 2014, but he is no longer in a seat of power when it comes to censorship. There are many reasons why he might have stepped down, it could be the great amount of negative attention he has been getting for the R18+ rating, the new anti-bikie laws, internet censorship and more controversies. This all could be because the Labor party only just getting their nose in front at this election, the less negative attention that the party attracts the better.

Or it maybe the fact the man has been doing the job for a long time, about 20 years total as a Politian, and has grown tired of it. For the first time ever I will defend Atkinson, he as an Attorney General was good for South Australia and its crime rate. His over cautious approach to censorship and his refusal to change is what caused a lot of hate from gamers.

So what does this mean for Australian gamers and our hopes for an R18+ rating? Well if we combine this with the R18+ rating discussion paper released last year (which is assumed will be a majority in favour) it now seems likely to happen. In just over a month the Standing Committee of Attorneys-General will hold its next meeting. Though the agenda for the April 29^th meeting is not made public, with the attention the subject has been receiving I would be very surprised if the topic isn’t at least discussed.

Do not expect a decision to be made so hastily though, Atkinson’s replacement hasn’t been announced and who ever it is probably doesn’t want to draw a massive amount of attention to himself so quickly by pushing an R18+ rating even if he does support it. This is assuming that there are no other Attorneys General that sided with Atkinson silently wanting to avoid the criticism.

The Standing Committee of Attorneys-General meets three times a year, with this being the first of the three means that if the topic is discussed on April 29^th an outcome by the end of the year is likely.

Gamers keep making noise, keep putting pressure on the politicians involved by keeping the subject in the spotlight and most importantly of all, keep your fingers crossed.