Speech Matters: Getting Free Speech Right

A council officer shuts down a Sydney art exhibition that sends a political message about the Iraq war; Big Day Out organizers are attacked for requesting that attendees not wear the Australian flag after the Cronulla riots. Why are Australians getting free speech wrong? Despite its professed support of free speech, Australia is remarkably tolerant of activities that curtail it. Arguing that freedom of speech is a vital democratic freedom, this account investigates a wide range of political expression to discover what value Australians place on free speech. Filled with controversial examples to fuel the debate, it questions the efficacy and extent of the public’s commitment to freedom of speech in Australian political culture. This important book rethinks freedom of speech and encourages citizens to be more active in running their country.