Latest / Early Edition with Ryan Bridge / Michael Johnston: Former Victoria University Associate Dean & NZ Initiative Research Fellow on freedom of speech laws in university's

Transcript

Michael Johnston: Former Victoria University Associate Dean & NZ Initiative Research Fellow on freedom of speech laws in university's · Early Edition with Ryan Bridge

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  Speaker 1: And the government wants to shake up free speech laws
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  Speaker 1: in universities. Today's to day it releases its Quarter to
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  Speaker 1: Action plant and one of their focuses includes introducing legislation
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  Speaker 1: to require freedom of expression in our unis and now
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  Speaker 1: former Victoria University Dean and now New Zealand Initiative Research
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  Speaker 1: fellow doctor Michael Johnson is with us and he joins me. Now,
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  Speaker 1: good morning to Michael.
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  Speaker 2: Oh, good morning. I should point out I was an
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  Speaker 2: associate dean, not a dean.
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  Speaker 1: Oh, okay, that's very important. Is this necessary?
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  Speaker 2: I believe it is. And the New Zealand Initiative Where
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  Speaker 2: Are Now work also does our research fellow James Kirsted
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  Speaker 2: published a report last year that showed that high proportions
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  Speaker 2: of academics and students feel intimidated to talk about certain
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  Speaker 2: topics in the university and including things like the Treaty
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  Speaker 2: of White Tonguey and sex and gender issues surrounding that.
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  Speaker 2: So a range of issues academics and students are feeling
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  Speaker 2: worried about talking about and we do need to beef
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  Speaker 2: up protections for their ability to do so.
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  Speaker 1: So I thought this was about freedom of speech, but
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  Speaker 1: not the freedom to talk about treaty issues or gender issues.
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  Speaker 2: Well, freedom of speech encompasses the ability to talk about
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  Speaker 2: all kinds of things, and academics and students have to
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  Speaker 2: have academic freedom to broach any topic that they want
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  Speaker 2: to in the university environment. That's what universities are for.
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  Speaker 2: They're supposed to be forums for discussion of all kinds
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  Speaker 2: of different ideas.
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  Speaker 1: So they can talk about treaty and gender.
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  Speaker 2: Issues, amongst other things.
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  Speaker 1: Yes, okay, is this problem institutional or is it amongst
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  Speaker 1: the students or is it ingrained in the faculty.
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  Speaker 2: Well, to some extent, it's all three. There's evidence that
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  Speaker 2: there's huge political bias within the faculty, so they lean
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  Speaker 2: massive life left. The student population almost certainly does as well.
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  Speaker 2: But certainly some of these measures come from the Sorry,
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  Speaker 2: problems come from the university administration. So the problems in
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  Speaker 2: all three of those bodies of people.
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  Speaker 1: Okay, sir, in your opinion, what would the law look like?
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  Speaker 2: Well, first of all, the universities need to be reminded
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  Speaker 2: of their obligation under the Education and Training Act to
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  Speaker 2: protect academic freedom on our campuses. And we think that
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  Speaker 2: that will only happen if the legislation has a bit
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  Speaker 2: of teeth to it. So there needs to be some
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  Speaker 2: kind of financial penalty for universities that consistently breach their
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  Speaker 2: members that as students or academics academic freedom.
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  Speaker 1: All right, Michael and I thank you so much for
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  Speaker 1: your time. Michael the former Associate Dean of Victoria University
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  Speaker 1: and New Zealand Initiative Research Failing. For more from earlier
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  Speaker 1: edition with Ryan Bridge, listen live to Newstalk Set B
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  Speaker 1: from five am weekdays, or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio