Meeting with Police, Taupo District Council’s new policy, our next tour, and more!

"If it weren’t for the Free Speech Union, where would we be?” This was a comment we received from a supporter, and it’s a question I often ask myself.  

As the one on our team who manages donations and the endless correspondence we receive, I am humbled daily by the backing of more than 100,000 Kiwis that enables the work we do. 
 
But, our wins won’t matter if we don’t stop censorship before it starts. So, here’s everything we’ve worked on in the education space recently! 
 
✅ Met with the NZ Police on their new training material this week. 

✅ Assisted Taupo District Council on their free speech policy, which came into effect last week.

✅ Announced dates for our upcoming tour with international guest Musa al-Gharbi! 

✅ Reached even more high school and university students with events. 

✅ Calling for more submissions on the academic freedom bill consultation. 
 
Read on... 🔥

Our team meet with NZ Police on new training material

This week, our CEO and Senior In-House Counsel met constructively with New Zealand Police, who are are seeking our input as they review the unlawful training material we successfully challenged.
 
The Police have a vital and complex job, so we shouldn’t burden or and distract  them further by expecting them to respond to every claim of a so-called ‘non-criminal hate incident’!
 
That’s why we’re thrilled Police have abandoned this approach, even going back and removing the ‘hate flags’ that were placed on individuals’ profiles in 2024.

Training like this has been the undoing of legitimate policing in countries like the UK, leading to a free speech crisis (30 people are arrested a day for speech offences there! Can you believe it?! 🤯).

We have avoided this in our country! 
 
We’re glad to have played our part in sounding the alarm on the training officers were receiving, and we’re grateful for a Police force that has taken our concerns seriously, resorting to policing actual offences and crimes. 📢💪

Taupo District Council vote in free speech policy

We commend Taupō District Council for adopting a free speech policy last week – this was a key condition for us dropping legal action after they unlawfully shut down an event.  
 
The Council has taken a principled approach to free speech, acknowledging the necessity of public participation in local government and unrestricted public access to council facilities. Local councils should not be dictating the views local ratepayers can and cannot hear. Councils around the country should take note! 
 
The policy is a huge positive step. Now the proof will be in the pudding. How will they implement it? We’ll watch eagerly. 👀

Our next tour! Introducing American sociologist and author, Musa al-Gharbi

We're thrilled that Musa al-Gharbi will tour with us in July! I personally love heading along to our events with international guests - I always get a fresh perspective on free speech and feel better equipped to defend it.  
 
This time, our guest is an American author, sociologist, and assistant professor at Stony Brook University in New York. Musa al-Gharbi will promote his new book, We Have Never Been Woke: The Cultural Contradictions of a New Elite.

Musa previously served as communications director at Heterodox Academy, founded by Jonathan Haidt and Nicholas Quinn Rosenkranz, and is a leading voice on cultural and political discourse.  

We’ll be in Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch, and Dunedin with Musa in July! Reserve your seat now.  

Our Speak Up! session compared to ‘fine dining’ 😁

It’s incredible to see how education space is growing quickly – a real testament to the strength of FSU. And, we’re getting impeccable feedback! 👌
 
Recently, Nick gave a Speak Up! session at an Auckland high school and, once again, received glowing feedback and added to the list of Speak Up! fans! 

Know a school who’d also be keen for a Speak Up! session? Let us know!

We were also proud sponsors again for this year’s New Zealand Schools Debating Championships, with Nick travelling to Wellington to speak at the event held in Parliament. It’s a great way to encourage critical thinking, and debate, for the next generation!

Another event with university students! 

Free pizza and free speech - what's not to love?! 🍕
 

I recently spoke at our second ever event for university students - a group I still relate to, having graduated only last month.

I shared my experience on how I entered university ready to challenge ideas, but instead found a culture that did not always embrace true diversity in thought and ideas. I urged the students: if this culture is going to change, it has to start with you...from the ground up!

Resilience to cope with ideas we don’t like matters, and tolerance of ideas is a price we pay for our own freedom to speak and think. 

If universities no longer welcome true diversity of thought, they stop being places of education and become centres of indoctrination. Where only one perspective prevails, real learning cannot take place.

 
If you’re concerned about the ideological capture of major professions like healthcare, education, law – or even architecture – this matters. Because all these professions share one thing in common – university training!

Next week, submissions to the Education and Training Amendment Bill (No 2) 2025 close on Thursday, and the FSU’s Inter-University Council on Academic Freedom will submit on the Bill’s strengths, and how it can still be improved to ensure it achieves what it set out to do.

You can make your own submission here. Need some guidance on what to say? Find prompts to help with your submission here.

We also have an opportunity for you! After a successful Autumn Book Club, we’re getting ready for our Winter Book Club! Meet with us and other free speech advocates over four fortnightly sessions - register your interest here. 
 
So, as you can see, we’re in all sorts of contexts ensuring others can also be equipped to defend the crucial, foundational human right our democracy depends on. 
 
It's all thanks to your support.

Arian Tashakkori 

Operations 

Free Speech Union 

PS. It's time to ensure speech is free in our universities, as this affects so much of our society. Write your own submission on the Education and Training Amendment Bill (No 2) before Thursday. You can use our prompts here. 

Checked our dates for our upcoming tour with Musa al-Gharbi? We’d love to see you at an event! Can’t make it to one? Follow along with us on social media ⬇️.