Donald Trump laid out his plan to slash America’s company tax rate to 20% this morning. Meanwhile, Australia still has one of the highest rates in the OECD:
The next big 18C case is the absolutely ridiculous one being brought against Chris Merritt, Janet Albrechtsen, Hedley Thomas and News Corp. Simon Breheny explained what’s at stake in The Australian this morning. And Morgan Begg explained in FreedomWatch why the government’s amendments in April to the AHRC won’t stop something like this happening again.
It’s dark times for free speech when you also consider the blasphemy laws passed by the parliament a fortnight ago. Senator David Leyonhjelm said the laws are “a crack in the door for anti-vilification and anti-blasphemy laws” when we interviewed him on The Young IPA Podcast last week. Listen to the full interview on iTunes, SoundCloud and our website.
I wonder if the laws will, like UNSW, stop people from discussing ‘Hall’s marriage theorem’ in maths.
This from Tuesday is the best example of the New York Times’ weird obsession with the ‘benefits’ of communism yet: “For all its flaws, the Communist revolution taught Chinese women to dream big.” They certainly dreamed of not living under communism anymore.
Mel Brooks last week joined the growing list of comedians who are standing up to political correctness, as he told the BBC that Blazing Saddles would never have been made in 2017. Can you imagine a world without this classic scene?
Dan Hannan has just launched The Institute for Free Trade with Tony Abbott as an advisor. In Brexit Central on Tuesday, Hannan explains how the IFT will “make the case for unrestricted commerce as the supreme instrument of poverty alleviation.”
Frank Furedi gave this fantastic 17 minute speech to the Menzies Research Centre last night on free speech on campus at an event also featuring the IPA’s Dr Bella d’Abrera. You can catch Frank in Brisbane tonight, details here.
And if you’re in Sydney, Senator Cory Bernardi will be launching Professor Ian Plimer’s latest book The Climate Change Delusion and the Great Electricity Ripoff on October 5 with the Sydney Mining Club. More information here. In Brisbane on October 13 at an event hosted by LibertyWorks, there is a joint launch with Ian talking about his book and the IPA’s Dr Jennifer Marohasy talking about Climate Change: The Facts 2017. Register here.
Article of the week:
The single most important thing about climate change policy is the disastrous impact is has on poor people. That’s the key message from the great Matt Ridley’s 4,500 word chapter in the IPA’s Climate Change: The Facts 2017 which he published on his website last week. Purchase your copy of the book here.
IPA Staff Pick:
Each week an IPA staff member shares what they have enjoyed recently. Today: Matthew Lesh
Bret Stephens, the New York Times’ token conservative columnist, gave a must-watch 1 hour 30 minute speech entitled ‘The Dying Art of Disagreement’ at the Lowy Institute last week. Stephens discusses how identity politics-led censorship undermines the necessity of understanding and responding to your opponent’s ideas.
Here’s what else the IPA said this week:
- Andrew Bushnell, Equal justice at risk if judges consider Aboriginality in sentencing – The Sydney Morning Herald
- Daniel Wild, Australia is one of the most hostile nations for business investment and job creation – Media Release
- Simon Breheny, Same sex marriage, citizenship and more – The Bolt Report
- Georgina Downer, Energy, Foreign Policy, Same Sex Marriage and more – The Bolt Report
- Daniel Wild, Energy policy – WIN News
