GamespotAU has reported today that replacement Minister for Home Affairs, Jason Clare, will be sticking to Brendan O'Connor's promise to bring the issue of an R18+ rating for video games to Parliament this February. The first sitting will be on February 7th.

When speaking with Gamespot, Clare said "Our plans are to introduce the R18+ bill in the first session of parliament this year," a spokesperson for Clare's office told GameSpot AU. "If it passes the Lower House, it will then go to the Senate for the same process."

Getting a bill through Parliament is not an easy task, however as it could be two to three years before we see an R18+ classification for video games in Australia.

For the bill to be passed through the House of Representatives it requires the support of at least two crossbench Members of Parliament. Currently the crossbench MPs are Rob Oakeshott, Tony Windsor, Andrew Wilkie, Bob Katter, and Greens MP Adam Bandt, all of which have remained silent on the matter to date. To pass through the Senate, the bill will require the support of either the coalition or the Greens.

Once passed each of the State Parliaments must decide how this new rating will be presented and could refuse to stock R18+ games in their state, however unlikely that may be.

It's a slow process indeed but progress is being made.