Freedom of Speech in Australia Meets Samizdat

by Cailen Cambeul | August 24, 2008 1:06 pm

From the Human and Constitutional Rights Resource Page[1]:

Australian Freedom of Speech Laws

Overview

The Australian Constitution does not expressly protect freedom of speech or expression. In 1992, however, the High Court of Australia held that a right to freedom of expression, in so far as public and political discussion were concerned, was implied in the Constitution. This right was thought to be an essential requirement of democratic and representative government and thus implied into the Australian Constitution, which had established such a system of government. Subsequent cases have made determinations on the scope of this implied freedom. It has been found to extend to the publication of material:

• discussing government and political matters generally;
• relating to the performance of individuals of their duties as members of the Parliament; and
• discussing the performance, conduct and fitness for office of members of the Commonwealth and State legislatures.

The right does not extend to more generally to a right to freedom of expression where political issues are not involved.

Simply put, this means you can criticize the government and its decisions, but you have no right to have a critical opinion of anything outside that arena. Furthermore many governmental decisions are also verboten topics in Australia thanks to the all encompassing Racial Vilification Act which makes a potential crime of any criticism of anything said or done by a person or persons of state accepted minority status. On the other hand, the sheer audacity of the federal and states’ goverments is revealed with the hypocrisy of allowing said persons of state accepted minority status to say or publish practically any verbal diarrhea as the promotion and protection of people of diverse cultures, races and religions.

What does all of this mean for people of purely European extraction, AKA White Australians? It means we have had successive state and federal governments that will bend which ever way the wind is blowing and it is up to the average White Australian to have a little gumption and challenge the unfair status quo using any means at their disposal.

From Wikipedia: Samizdat

Samizdat (Russian: самиздат) was the clandestine copying and distribution of government-suppressed literature or other media in Soviet-bloc countries. Copies were made a few at a time, and those who received a copy would be expected to make more copies. This was often done by handwriting or typing.

This grassroots practice to evade officially imposed censorship was fraught with danger as harsh punishments were meted out to people caught possessing or copying censored materials.

Vladimir Bukovsky defined it as follows: “I myself create it, edit it, censor it, publish it, distribute it, and [may] get imprisoned for it.”

Cailen.

Source URL: http://sacreator.com/blog/freedom_of_speech_in_australia_meets_samizdat/

---