George Christensen slams new Show Dogs movie

New movie features talking dogs and is aimed at children

Show Dogs is a seemingly innocuous kid's film - with one controversial subplot.

NATIONALS MP George Christensen has called for further scrutiny about showing a new film, criticised for plot elements that parallel paedophile grooming, arguing it should not be shown to children in Australian cinemas.

The Federal MP has written to the Minister for the Arts, Mitch Fifield, requesting at least an M or, preferably, an R rating for the movie, Show Dogs, which opened in the United States last week.

The movie, due to open in Australia later this year, has been panned by parents and child advocates, as well as the National Center on Sexual Exploitation, for normalising sexual abuse in a manner similar to the grooming practises of paedophiles.

"Paedophiles invest time coaching young children into believing that what they want to do to them is normal and here we have a movie coming dangerously close to this space," Mr Christensen said.

"Paedophiles want children to believe they can get benefits if they let people touch their private parts and that is exactly what this movie is putting out there."

The film, which features talking dogs and is aimed at children, is about a police dog working undercover at a dog show.

To fulfil his mission and win the competition, the dog must allow his human partner to fondle his private parts so that he gets used to it before the judge does the same.

"In a key scene, the dog employs a tactic of picturing himself in his happy place - something victims of child sexual abuse sometimes use as a coping mechanism," Mr Christensen said.

"Regardless of the intent of this plot line, the features of the story and the impression it could leave upon its intended audience of young impressionable children means that our censors should give this flick a rating that puts it out of reach of that intended audience.

"At a time when we are teaching our children to have the courage to say no, we don't need a movie delivering precisely the opposite message.

"In the wake of the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse and the #MeToo campaign, it is unfathomable that a movie with such a plot line would be made, much less shown to children."

Originally published as George Christensen slams new Show Dogs movie