Monday 21st March 2005

Over 300 people attended a Hobart forum on defending free speech and the public interest. It was held at the University of Tasmania.

The forum dealt with the alarming tendency for many big businesses to try and silence those speaking and acting in the public interest. Panel members also talked on the need for uniform Australian legislation to try and counteract this disturbing tendency.

Question time at the end of the session ran well over time, such was the interest and concern evident in the audience.

Astoundingly, no Tasmanian electronic media were present to record and report on this important event! Did the fear and chill of big business litigation have something to do with this, or does democracy take a back seat because of more pressing issues, such as Kylie Minogue's waist measurement?

Fortunately, the big turnout shows that democracy and substance are still important in the public's mind.

Panelists at the forum were (left) Simon Cocker representing Unions Tasmania, Brian Walters SC, President of Liberty Victoria and Vice President of Free Speech Victoria, Senator Bob Brown (Defendant 10 in the Gunns lawsuit) and Professor Sharon Beder, leading author and academic, School of Social Sciences, Media and Communication at the University of Wollongong.