What do the medical council, universities, and public venues have in common?
Our team is flat out defending your right to speak freely. Here are four big stories on our plates:
✅New Court testimony reveals NZ Medical Council actively censored doctors over COVID-19 vaccination concerns.
✅University of Auckland academics rightly reject flawed academic freedom policy.
✅Rights over access to public venues are clear cut, despite what some would have you believe.
✅Wine, AGM, and events not to miss!
New Court testimony reveals Medical Council actively censored doctors
A report released this week by The Centrist has brought to light some seriously disturbing behaviour by the Medical Council in relation to the Covid-19 vaccination response.
Richard Aston, who himself served on the Medica Council through the COVID-19 response, is the whistleblower in this case, and described a “culture change” that was “unreal and disturbing.”
He described how most members of the Medical Council believed that any doctor who “so much as doubted the COVID pandemic directives should be heavily sanctioned and preferably suspended.”
He revealed in the High Court that in a ‘Guidance Statement’ the Medical Council released to all doctors, they insisted “there is no place for anti-vaccination messages in professional health practice”, and that doctors should promote vaccine benefits and not highlight risks.
Doctors talking about the risks associated with the vaccinations was a reason for disciplinary action. Doctors who did choose to ask questions were subjected to “harsh, vindictive even, sanctions for even the most minor cases.”
This is exactly what we saw with Dr Conlon, who for 30 years, had offered GP services to Murupara, Minginui, and Ruatahuna, remote communities in the Te Uruwera region. He was investigated by the Medical Council after complaints were laid against him for daring to ask questions in public about informed consent for children and pregnant women.
His licence was revoked and his community were left without access to medical care. You and I both can see, this is medical censorship.
The ‘Guidance Statement’ stripped doctors of their ability to determine what medical advice they gave their patients, and to speak freely to them about the risks involved in a medical procedure. Informed consent was lost in the process.
As The Centrist rightly points out, this issue "goes to the heart of public faith in the medical profession and government." We've fronted the media on this issue, and have contacted the Minister of Health, insisting the Medical Council must be held to account for their censorial and bullying behaviour.
Finally! Academics step up to take charge of academic freedom
Did you see us in the media this week talking about an incredible event that’s taken place at the University of Auckland? After more than four years in development, the University Senate (all the ‘full professors’ at the university) has overwhelmingly rejected the Academic Freedom and Freedom of Expression Policy that was presented to them by the university’s leadership.
The policy is deeply flawed – it starts out with, not an endorsement of academic freedom, but a statement on the importance of the Treaty of Waitangi to the University (a highly disputed topic should not be the basis of a policy about the right to speak freely).
Ironically, if the policy were to be introduced, it would actually diminish staff and students’ rights to academic freedom, enshrining the repression of academic freedom on campus.
The policy would introduce new restrictions on academic freedom that don't currently exist, including key phrases you and I both know will be used as excuses to censor legitimate discussion, like the guise of “wellbeing” and “health and safety” (these concepts can mean anything, now).
The professoriate recognise the flaws in the policy and (incredibly) they are now demanding better. That is worth celebrating, as I know you value the place of academic freedom in our universities!
The event, though, raises some big questions. Seriously? How has the university found itself in such a ludicrous position, where its own staff reject what leadership has spent more than four years creating? What process has led us here?
How is the university leadership so out of step with their own academic staff? Do they not know what academic freedom means, or do they simply not want to know?
You can listen here to our interviews this week with Sean Plunket, Andrew Urquhart, and the New Zealand Initiative.
Talking of some great content our team has released this week, did you catch our recent live event on Facebook hosted by Nick Hanne? He sat down with FSU Advisory Council member, Jillaine Heather, and Ethos CEO, Alex Penk, to talk about the Law Commission's proposals to play around with the Human Rights Act.
Your rights when hiring a public venue
You may have seen an article this week in the New Zealand Herald stating there is a line between freedom of speech and the right for public venues to deny controversial speakers bookings.
The writers (two lawyers, no less) argue that having a policy that includes reference to 'health and safety' is helpful to fall back on when controversial speakers want to book a public venue.
But you and I both know that this is nonsense.
The bar for legitimate reasons to cancel an event because of 'health and safety' is high, and it's more often used as a way to silence unpopular ideas.
Our Chairperson, Dr. Roderick Mulgan wrote an opinion piece in response. While we wait to hear if the NZ Herald will publish his counter perspective, you can read it here.
"Priests and princes and vain governors of every stripe have claimed that that dissent is dangerous, and the law should suppress it. The duty of sensible people is to push back and declare that if ideas are so fragile they can’t stand scrutiny, then scrutiny is the best thing for them."
-Dr. Roderick Mulgan
Dates to add to your calendar
There are so many opportunities to meet with us between now and Christmas.
Prof. Nigel Biggar arrives in the country from the UK at the start of the month and will speak in Wellington, Christchurch, and then at the AGM in Auckland on decolonisation, race relations, and free speech.
Our AGM is our biggest event of the year. Our whole team will be there, and we look forward to celebrating the wins of the past year together. Will we see you there?
In December, Dr. Peter Boghossian will join us from the US. He is a distinguished philosopher whose work focuses on enhancing critical thinking and moral reasoning. We look forward to him discussing how the freedom to think critically is crucial if we’re to have a culture that values our fundamental right to free speech. Join us in Auckland, Hamilton, or Christchurch.
We also have a great line up of 'town hall' meetings in Whanganui, New Plymouth, Taupo, and Rotorua over the next couple of months!
A beautiful rosé while supporting a good cause...?
Did you hear we're selling our very own Liberty Blush rosé especially labeled with FSU quips? It's perfect for summer and a great talking point at your next dinner party!
Net proceeds go to the great cause of supporting the Free Speech Union to protect your speech rights. That's a pretty good deal, right?!
I think these stories all show that free speech is important in every context, and each one of us must work to defend it if we're to see our nation value it too.
Thanks for making our work possible.
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Jonathan Ayling |
P.S. Our Annual Free Speech Union Conference is on Saturday, 9 November, and we'd love to host you there!
In addition to a keynote from Oxford Professor, Nigel Biggar (speaking on decolonisation, race relations, and free speech), we'll also have a host of cabinet Ministers (including David Seymour and Paul Goldsmith), prominent academics, media personalities, and more.
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