Our current Government believes that people should not be allowed to say what they want. They are about to pass a new Hate Speech Bill that will criminalise free speech if that speech is deemed hateful or inciting violence. They don’t define what hate is – it will be up to them to decide on their terms.
This will result in people self-censoring for fear of saying something that the sitting government deems ‘hateful’. This results in a highly dangerous tool of oppression, more akin to a tactic used by totalitarian governments in the past. This Bill has attracted international condemnation.
We will immediately revoke the Hate Speech Bill if elected to power. We already have existing laws that deal with incitement to hatred so there is no need for this Bill.
We believe in freedom of expression and freedom of thought. We hold dearly the rights of the individual and the rights of the citizenry. We believe that all inhabitants of the country should be treated with dignity and respect irrespective of views or religious persuasion.
There are many other freedoms dependent on, and bolstering of, freedom of speech and open inquiry which Farmers Alliance will work toward strengthening. Such freedoms include but are not limited to the following: freedom of conscience and belief; freedom of assembly; freedom of informed consent in medical intervention; freedom of travel within the Nation; freedom to own and exchange private property; freedom to use physical cash rather than digital currencies.
Farmers Alliance would be remiss, of course, if we neglected the freedom to farm and sell one’s produce.