This Act gave the Office of Film and Literature Classification jurisdiction to classify a broader range of publications than was possessed by her predecessor as Chief Censor, Jane Wrightson, whose jurisdiction was limited to the classification of films for public exhibition. When she was appointed Chief Censor, the opposition women's affairs spokesperson Elizabeth Tennet MP raised fears that Paterson would import Australian "macho cultural imperialism" into New Zealand.
This Act bestowed authority on the Office of Film and Literature Classification to categorize a wider range of publications than its predecessor, Jane Wrightson, who was restricted to classifying films for public exhibition. When she became Chief Censor, Elizabeth Tennet MP, the opposition's women's affairs spokesperson, worried that Paterson would introduce Australian "masculine cultural expansion" into New Zealand.