20 July 2018
Finally, Parliament Can Act On Restoring The Right To Free Speech
There is no right not to be offended. Yet dozens of provisions on the commonwealth statute books make it unlawful or illegal to offend. There is a right to freedom of speech, and each of these laws is an attack on that right. The existence of these laws is an embarrassment to Australia as a country that holds itself out
4 December 2017
Simon Breheny on Q&A – QUT Case
Simon Breheny debates Gillian Triggs over how the AHRC handled the QUT case.
22 March 2017
18c: Not Perfect, But A Pretty Good Start
The Turnbull government’s proposed changes to section 18c don’t go all the way, but they’re a pretty good start. Yesterday, Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull and Attorney-General George Brandis announced that section 18c of the Racial Discrimination Act would be amended so that it is no longer unlawful to ‘offend’, ‘insult’ or ‘humiliate’ another person because of their race. In their
11 November 2016
18C Repeal The Only Solution On Freedom Of Speech
Here’s a simple idea all lawmakers should adopt: when a law is fundamentally broken, it should be repealed. Not replaced. Repealed. So it is with section 18C of the Racial Discrimination Act. Removing the words “offend” and “insult” from a provision that has been used as a weapon against newspaper cartoonists and university students is an incredibly modest proposal. Any
4 November 2016
QUT Case Thrown Out
We’re live in Brisbane outside the Federal Circuit Court. The case against three former students of QUT has just been thrown out. Here’s the IPA’s Morgan Begg and Chris Berg.
4 November 2016
The Process Is The Punishment For QUT Students
“The Turnbull government cannot stick its head in the sand any longer on section 18C: the law must be repealed,” said John Roskam, Executive Director at free market think tank the Institute of Public Affairs. “The proof that the human rights regime is damaged beyond repair is now plain for all to see,” said Mr Roskam. “The federal government must
3 September 2016
Brendan O’Neill in conversation with Simon Breheny
Brendan O’Neill joins Simon Breheny to discuss QUT, Section 18C and the importance of free speech.
26 August 2016
The Turnbull Government’s Disgraceful Free Speech Fail
The spectacle of Malcolm Turnbull arguing passionately for higher taxes on self-funded retirees while saying the reform of laws restricting freedom of speech in Australia was not a priority sits uneasily with what he said on the night he became prime minister. In the evening of September 15, 2015, he laid down the measure against which his time as PM
