ACT Party
Revealed: Labour confirms it will toughen our “hate speech” laws next year. Giving a government censor more power to criminalise what you say is dangerous.
Freedom to Speak
There is a growing danger of taxpayer-funded universities abusing their health and safety obligations in order to ‘deplatform’ speakers and shut down free speech on campus. Massey University, for example, has recently cancelled Don Brash and Feminism 2020 events and taken down pro-Hong Kong democracy posters.
Massey believes it should cancel speakers if there is a chance of ‘mental harm to students’. But mental harm is subjective and allows vocal activists to block events from taking place by claiming that they are likely to be psychologically hurt by the presence of a speaker on campus.
Universities are supposed to be committed to free and open inquiry in all matters and places where difficult ideas can be examined. It is not the role of universities to protect students from ideas they find offensive. It is for students to make judgments about which ideas they find disagreeable and to openly and vigorously contest them. Fostering the ability of students to engage in such debate is an essential part of a university’s educational mission.
Health and safety has now become an excuse for universities to obstruct speech that small groups of activists find offensive.
Universities are required to meet a number of conditions to receive taxpayer money, but protecting academic freedom and freedom of expression is not among them. ACT says that tertiary institutions must protect academic freedom and free speech in order to receive funding.
Tertiary institutions like universities will need to take all reasonable steps to protect academic freedom and free speech, and health and safety will not be allowed to be used as an excuse to ‘deplatform’ speakers unless there are threats to physical safety.
Help ACT defend the #FreedomToSpeak by joining our campaign here.
ACT stands staunchly in favour of freedom of expression. Read more about ACT’s position on freedom of expression here.