The FSU of Australia’s co-founder, Reuben Kirkham, has written a guest blog piece for us, on the organisation’s overflowing in-tray. As well as their usual case work and members’ events, in the last month they’ve launched two legal challenges as well as having run an ‘uncancelled’ tour for Graham Linehan. Reuben continues:
We have had a lot of recent battles and activity in the Free Speech Union of Australia. As well as our usual case work and members’ events, in the last month we have launched two legal challenges as well as having run an ‘uncancelled’’ tour for Graham Linehan.
The Billboard Chris case
Australia’s eSafety Commissioner sent a ‘takedown notice’ to X requiring the removal of a post by Canadian social media influencer Billboard Chris, asking him to remove a tweet critical of Teddy Cook – a transgender Australian citizen who works for the WHO writing transgender healthcare guidelines. The action comes against the backdrop of the global controversy over the WPATH files, and the controversy over ‘gender-affirming care’ following the publication of the Cass Review. Billboard Chris is a longtime campaigner against gender-affirming care for children and we have argued the takedown notice is aimed at censoring political discussion about the issue. The ‘takedown notice’ is being appealed to the Administrative Appeals Tribunal with our assistance, which is the first legal challenge made by an end user to the eSafety Commissioner. As part of this campaign, we have started a petition to repeal Australia’s Online Safety Act which you can sign here.
The @eSafetyOffice in Australia is currently refusing to release documents related to my case, citing the need to consult with “third parties that might want to make an exemption contention under the FOl Act, namely with respect to sections 27 (business documents) and 27A… https://t.co/G8N5MvFMBT
— Billboard Chris(@BillboardChris) April 23, 2024
The PR war between Elon Musk and Australia’s political establishment
Hot on the heels of the Billboard Chris controversy came the Wakeley Church stabbing incident, where a muslim attacker stabbed a Christian Bishop during a church service. The incident was caught on video and a clip of the stabbing was widely circulated on social media. Australia’s eSafety Commissioner has required X to remove the clip on the basis that it might be used to promote terrorism. The Bishop who was the victim has said he would like the footage to remain online, but that has cut no ice with the Commissioner. Elon Musk has refused to comply, sparking a global dispute between Australia’s federal Government and the tech billionaire over free speech. We will be launching a campaign shortly on the wider issue since by this logic any news footage of tragic events (e.g. 9/11 or October 7th) would be similarly banned.
The Graham Linehan Tour
During April, FSU Australia has been running a nationwide speaking tour featuring comedy writer Graham Linehan, well known for Father Ted, Black Books and The IT Crowd. Graham has faced constant threats of cancellation and several Australian venues have canceled – but we managed to find last-minute alternatives. The cancellers included Melbourne City Council, who banned Graham from appearing in public in the city, claiming a private comedy class would be a “divisive event that actively fuels controversy and tension within the LGBTIQA+ community” and it would stop Melbourne being a “safe and inclusive space”. We were unaware that the City of Melbourne considered that LGBT people are allergic to laughter. Despite the attempted disruption, we have succeeded in uncancelling Graham, including in Melbourne.
Professor Andrew Timming’s case
Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology professor Andrew Timming was sacked from his job for a tweet. FSU Australia is representing him. So far there has been a strange encounter with Australia’s Fair Work Commission, where we sought the appointment of a new Commissioner to hear his case due to the one they’d appointed displaying ideological bias. Andrew recently gave an interview to Andrew Bolt on Sky News Australia about his surreal experience. He has now filed in the Federal Circuit Court.
Upcoming tour of Jonathan Rauch
The US Academic and free speech champion Jonathan Rauch is scheduled to tour both New Zealand and Australia in conjunction with both nation’s respective Free Speech Unions in May. In Australia we will be running a symposium on Intellectual Freedom in the Academy in Melbourne on 21st May which will kick off with a speech by Mr Rauch.
You can join the Free Speech Union of Australia here.
