In this episode of Free to Speak, Dane is joined by University of Auckland academic David Cumin to unpack the free speech flashpoints that follow moments of national shock. 

They start with the Adelaide Writers’ Festival controversy - where Palestinian activist Randa Abdel-Fattah was disinvited, sparking a mass boycott - and dig into what “principled” free speech looks like when the same institutions have previously sidelined pro-Israel voices. 

From there, they examine how Australia rushed through new hate speech laws after the Bondi attack, why fast-tracked censorship powers often backfire, and how “hate speech” frameworks tend to become partisan tools rather than genuine protections. 

The conversation ranges across hypocrisy, public funding and cultural gatekeeping, the unintended consequences of criminalising speech, and why open debate remains the best antidote to extremism - even when the views in question are ugly.

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