The Free Speech Union commends the Select Committee’s recommendation to pass the Education and Training Amendment Bill (No 2). This Bill restores hope for academic freedom in New Zealand and is good news at a time when we need campuses to welcome debate, not suppress it, says Stephanie Martin, spokesperson for the Free Speech Union.

“The Select Committee has recommended that the Bill be passed. It has also recommended the adoption of most suggestions made by the Free Speech Union’s Inter-University Council on Academic Freedom in our submission on the Bill.

“These include a recommendation to remove the requirement for speech on campuses to be conducted ‘in a respectful manner.’ We argued that this requirement was vague and could be too easily invoked to shut down unpopular views.

“The Committee has also recommended specifying that universities should not make public statements on matters extending beyond their roles and functions. As we argued in our submission, when a university takes a substantive position, it risks stifling academics and students from expressing public disagreement.

“It is unfortunate that the Select Committee has not advanced our recommendation to explicitly define the roles and functions of the university in relation to institutional neutrality. Without this clarity, universities could potentially bypass the Bill’s protections by claiming other responsibilities take precedence.

“Evidence from Free Speech Union surveys and other sources show that academic freedom is under threat in New Zealand universities. If our universities are to advance knowledge and foster an environment of intellectual curiosity, they must stop treating disagreement as ‘harmful’.

“We commend the Select Committee’s recognition of the importance of this vital legislation. We call on our universities to honour the spirit of the Bill, to reinvigorate the culture of open debate and lively discourse on our campuses.”
 

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