Speech Matters: Getting Free Speech Right
Jan 2011 · Univ. of Queensland Press
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Why is Australia's current attitude towards freedom of speech harmful to democracy? Australia is the land of the 'fair go'. But does this attitude extend to freedom of speech? Unlike the US, Australia has no Bill of Rights to protect our right to free speech, yet most Australians take this right for granted. In "Speech Matters," political analyst Katharine Gelber shows why many of Australia's laws and policies, supported by the wider public, are actually harmful to democratic participation in politics. A council officer shuts down a Sydney art exhibition that sends a political message about the Iraq war; Big Day Out organisers are attacked for asking attendees not to wear the Australian flag after the Cronulla riots. Gelber investigates a wide range of political expression to see how we value free speech: from different uses of the national flag, hate speech and anti-terrorism laws to protest, campaigns against corporate actions and art. Gelber considers the laws and policies that regulate behaviour alongside the views of everyday Australians about these issues. What Gelber finds is a political culture that is failing free speech. Our laws allow powerful companies to silence dissent while making peaceful protests difficult to carry out. "Speech Matters" tackles these controversial issues head-on, providing compelling reasons for why we should protect the types of speech that give everyone a voice in deciding how our country is run.
Why is Australia's current attitude towards freedom of speech harmful to democracy? Australia is the land of the 'fair go'. But does this attitude extend to freedom of speech? Unlike the US, Australia has no Bill of Rights to protect our right to free speech, yet most Australians take this right ...
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About the author
Katharine Gelber is an Associate Professor of Politics in the School of Political Science and International Studies at the University of Queensland. She has researched and taught in Australian politics and human rights for well over a decade. Since 2004 Gelber has been investigating how freedom of speech manifests in contemporary Australian politics, and actively engaging in public discussions on such topics as anti-terror legislation and academic freedom.
Katharine Gelber is an Associate Professor of Politics in the School of Political Science and International Studies at the University of Queensland. She has researched and taught in Australian politics and human rights for well over a decade. Since 2004 Gelber has been investigating how freedom o...
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