The Australian government is not too far behind India in demanding restrictions on freedom of speech.

But in an article in The Australian today, David Kemp, a former Minister from the Liberal Party, has vigorously advocated liberty, and appealed against attempts by the Australian government to muzzle free speech, thus:

The basic flaw in the [Finkelstein] report, however, is the idea that a government tribunal can be independent, impartial and unconflicted.

There is no such thing as an independent government agency, free of conflicting interests, so long as government chooses who will be the members of the agency, and dismisses and funds them (as it must). Government is not impartial. It is a huge concentration of partisan power and self- interest. That is why we need democracy and its essential condition, freedom of speech, to keep government in check. [Source: direct, indirect]

I wish we had had EVEN ONE minister in India's independent history who spoke thus, even one minister who recognised that the purpose of all our institutions in a free society is to CONTROL and check government powers.

Australia is not a free country, or rather, it is barely free. I'll discuss this issue in the context of heath regulation, separately. But it is good to know that there are those who will fight for liberty.

In India we have NO ONE in parliament to protect liberty. All parties are socialists: the sworn enemies of freedom.

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3. You have to WREST liberty from the Indian government, not beg for it
4. My vigorous opposition to the “Right to Food” advocated by Amartya Sen
5. There is no “American” or “Australian” model. Only liberty or slavery.
6. Which country today comes closest to the capitalist model?
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8. The average American would have been 20 times wealthier than he is today, WITHOUT the central bank
9. What Would I Do If I Became India’s Prime Minister? #4
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