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 Free
Speech and Public Interest Forum
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.
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