Free Speech Union Chief Executive Jonathan Ayling sat down with Prof. Grant Schofield who recently authored a  'A falling out of love letter to the university'- which reflects on his over 30 years in academia. Prof. Schofield questions whether the contemporary New Zealand university can any longer claim to be the 'conscious and critic of society' and in an in-depth discussion, comments on the health of free speech within our universities, the problem of self-censorship (especially among young academics), whether withholding funds to anti-free speech universities would work, and how a refusal to debate important issues affects society. This episode is a good warm-up for the release of the Free Speech Union's 2023 academic survey next week so get swatting! https://profgrant.com/2023/04/24/a-falling-out-of-love-letter-to-the-university-we-need-to-talk/

Support the show

https://www.fsu.nz/
https://x.com/NZFreeSpeech
https://www.instagram.com/freespeechnz/
https://www.tiktok.com/@freespeechunionnz

Join Free Speech Union Chief Executive Jonathan Ayling, FSU council member Stephen Franks and Left-wing commentator Josie Pagani and Connor Molloy for a debrief on former ACLU president Nadine Strossen's recent tour of Aotearoa. The team discuss some of the high-profile members Strossen attended, why rationalism wins the argument, and what lessons we should take from her into our ongoing free speech battles. It's then a gearshift to discuss the disturbing 'Disinformation Project' report released in the wake of the Posie Parker visit in which the shadowy group warns of an imminent genocide against the trans community... with zero evidence? What is the best strategy for tackling such bad-faith actors? All this and more in another fascinating podcast episode. Enjoy! fsu.nz 

Support the show

https://www.fsu.nz/
https://x.com/NZFreeSpeech
https://www.instagram.com/freespeechnz/
https://www.tiktok.com/@freespeechunionnz

"For me this is the recognition of the linking of free speech with the right for civil disobedience because the public square is never cool and rational and only ‘discursive’ – except when constrained and imposed to be so by the privileging and power of ‘the rational’."

This provocative paragraph was written by Canterbury-based sociologist and former Free Speech Union podcast guest Mike Grimshaw. In the original piece, published on plainsight.nz, Mike defended some of the civil disobedience from the counter-protesters witnessed at the aborted Posie Parker appearance at Albert Park. Free Speech Union council member Dr David Cumin chews over some of the challenging arguments with Mike in a deep dive that covers some of the contradictions of free speech and examines the role of Police at Albert Park - and what role they should play in a liberal society fsu.nz/join 

Support the show

https://www.fsu.nz/
https://x.com/NZFreeSpeech
https://www.instagram.com/freespeechnz/
https://www.tiktok.com/@freespeechunionnz

Free Speech Union council member Dane Giraud speaks with journalist and now filmmaker Samantha Blanchard about her new documentary "Silenced" which was released online over Easter weekend. "Silenced" looks at censorship during the pandemic and features the story of Peter Williams who walked away from a job at Magic Talk after being given directives not to challenge the government narrative. A thought-provoking and challenging film Samantha discusses the making of the documentary and shares her experiences working as a journalist along with why the media are failing to earn the trust of the public today. https://www.silenced.co.nz/

Support the show

https://www.fsu.nz/
https://x.com/NZFreeSpeech
https://www.instagram.com/freespeechnz/
https://www.tiktok.com/@freespeechunionnz

Gender-critical speaker Kellie-Jay Keen-Minshull's 'Let Woman Speak' tour of New Zealand ended before it began: due to violence. A feral mob assaulted her and women were viciously assaulted including a 72-year-old woman who was left with a fractured skull. This followed failed attempts by fringe LGBTQI+ voices to deny KJK entry to New Zealand. Will Albert Park be the new normal? Free Speech Union spokespersons Dane Giraud and Ani O'Brien discuss the day (Ani was present) and its potential ramifications https://www.fsu.nz/public_letter_to_police_minister 

Support the show

https://www.fsu.nz/
https://x.com/NZFreeSpeech
https://www.instagram.com/freespeechnz/
https://www.tiktok.com/@freespeechunionnz

Free Speech Union council member Dane Giraud speaks to Corina Shields (@AuntyHeihei on Twitter), a wahine Maori who took her opinions and concerns with government policy to TikTok after being denied the ear of MPs. 

Dane and Corina discuss distrust and why governments need to work much harder to win back the poor - the failure of the media to cover lower-socio-economic issues, and why the Maori Party is so unpopular with Maori. Enjoy! 

Support the show

https://www.fsu.nz/
https://x.com/NZFreeSpeech
https://www.instagram.com/freespeechnz/
https://www.tiktok.com/@freespeechunionnz

Free Speech Union council members Ani O'Brien and Dane Giraud discuss the union's defending of Drag Queen story time along with Tusiata Avia's controversial poem. Enjoy!  https://www.stuff.co.nz/opinion/131393894/the-free-speech-door-swings-both-ways

Support the show

https://www.fsu.nz/
https://x.com/NZFreeSpeech
https://www.instagram.com/freespeechnz/
https://www.tiktok.com/@freespeechunionnz

Josephine Varghese is a political analyst and researcher with the Democracy Project at Victoria University of Wellington. In today's episode, Josephine and Free Speech Union council member Dane Giraud discuss Left-wing perspectives on free speech, whether a Leftist should view free speech as a central right, and anti-colonisation thought both as expressed in the controversial poem by Tuisata Avia along with a Left-wing critique. A great in-depth discussion on classic Left-wing thought and where it is often at odds with many of those calling themselves Left today  https://www.eventbrite.com/cc/last-words-screening-tour-1718439

Support the show

https://www.fsu.nz/
https://x.com/NZFreeSpeech
https://www.instagram.com/freespeechnz/
https://www.tiktok.com/@freespeechunionnz

Free Speech Union spokesperson Dane Giraud speaks to James Kierstead, a Senior Lecturer in Classics at Victoria University of Wellington and Research Fellow at The New Zealand Initiative. James (who should be no stranger to Free Speech Union supporters) gives his summary of the failed hate speech laws before the boys discuss the need for generosity towards your ideological opponents, the woke re-editing of Roald Dahl's books, and the general issue with translations and tampering with texts. Another great conversation with a top mind. Enjoy! 

There's still time to see the Free Speech Union's debut film "Last Words" https://www.eventbrite.com/cc/last-words-screening-tour-1718439

Support the show

https://www.fsu.nz/
https://x.com/NZFreeSpeech
https://www.instagram.com/freespeechnz/
https://www.tiktok.com/@freespeechunionnz

In a fascinating discussion that covers an amazing amount of ground, Free Speech Union spokesperson Dane Giraud speaks to Sociologist Mike Grimshaw of the University of Canterbury. Mike discusses the open society that relies on free speech to function versus the retreat into identity groups censorship encourages. The boys talk through tagging and street art as a means of expression for the underclass and why council-sponsored art may be a calculated way to silence these voices. And Mike unpacks the concept of the radical loser - the disenchanted male who is likely to view censorship as a provocation to action. This is surely a packed episode with a banquet hall brimming with food for thought. Enjoy. And don't forget that the Free Speech Union's debut film "Last Words" is about to go on a nationwide cinema tour. Have you got your ticket yet? If not book today! 

Tickets are available by following the link below.

https://www.eventbrite.com/cc/last-words-screening-tour-1718439?fbclid=IwAR0c51Clm5der-BC98I1fIdovB7gIcIeWG7yBwDIg6Fv_SYzfRbENd5of9c

Thursday 16th February (PREMIERE):, 7 pm at The Penthouse Cinema, Wellington

Saturday 18th February: 2 pm at Lumiere Cinema, Riccarton, Christchurch

Saturday 18th February: 6 pm at the Regent Cinema, Ashburton

Sunday 19th February: 1 pm at Movie Max Cinema, Timaru

Sunday 19th February: 6 pm at Rialto Cinema, Dunedin

Support the show

https://www.fsu.nz/
https://x.com/NZFreeSpeech
https://www.instagram.com/freespeechnz/
https://www.tiktok.com/@freespeechunionnz