Australia’s biggest ever online political rally for free speech is happening tomorrow night from 7-10pm (AEST) following the attack on a leading Christian campaigner over his challenge to the ‘Welcome to Country’ ritual.
Leading political, academic, and independent media figures will join forces tomorrow (Tues 20 Aug) for a ‘telethon’ to send a loud and clear message to the Australian bureaucracy, politicians, and grievance industry that any more incursions to free speech will no longer be tolerated without a strong response.
‘This event is designed to send a very clear message that politicians and bureaucrats who continue to ignore the public’s calls to keep their hands off our free speech will no longer be able to act without political consequences and a strong political and legal counter-fight,’ said Dave Pellowe, the rally’s main organiser.
Mr Pellowe is a leading Australian Christian conservative and the co-ordinator of the popular Church & State conferences across Australia and founder of The Good Sauce online media platform.
He made news headlines last week after being forced to attend a session at the Queensland Human Rights Commission following what he says is a ‘vexatious and frivolous’ complaint about comments he made regarding the Welcome to Country ritual at a Christian conference.
The rally will raise funds for the Human Rights Law Alliance, a not-for-profit organisation whose patron is former Prime Minister John Howard. The HRLA provides legal aid to people and organisations under attack for living out their faith, both Christian and non-Christian.
‘Through providing this help we also set freedom-protecting precedents that extend well beyond just Christian Australians to protect core principles of free speech that affect everyone,’ said John Steenhof, the HRLA’s Principal Lawyer.
High-profile Christian and non-Christian supporters of free speech are joining the rally, including Senators Alex Antic (SA) Malcolm Roberts (Qld), Ralph Babet (Vic) former federal ALP Minister Gary Johns, former ALP National President Warren Mundine, former Federal LNP MPGeorge Christensen, and National Director of Family First Lyle Shelton will be joined by leading academics including Emeritus Professor Gabriël Moens (UQ Law), Professor James Allen (UQ Law), Dr Stephen Chavura (Campion), and former Law Reform Commissioner Prof. Augusto Zimmermann.
Independent media commentators Avi Yemeni (Rebel News), Alexandra Marshall (Spectator Australia, ADH TV), Topher Field, Martyn Iles, Pat Mesiti, and Damian Coory (The Other Side), and Australian Christian Lobby chief Michelle Pearse will also speak, making a strong call for an end to the use of ‘kangaroo courts’ to wage lawfare attacks against conservative and center-right voices.
‘Politicians need to understand that Christian conservatives represent a significant proportion of ordinary Australians who share core values with an even larger group of ordinary Australians including Aboriginal Australians,’ Mr Pellowe said.
‘We want to see peace and harmony in Australia, not the kind of social unrest, decay, and disrespect for institutions that the UK is experiencing, which is the direct result of an elite class of politicians, bureaucrats, and media being completely out of touch with the average citizen and their views.’
‘A kind of “grievance industry” has emerged in this country and its operatives think they can simply make frivolous complaints against ordinary citizens and use the bureaucracy to cause inconvenience and cost to their political opponents,’ he said. ‘Some petty bureaucrats and politicians even encourage and support this trend of “punishment by process” and it is now time to send a strong message that this abuse of the system won’t be tolerated, and doesn’t come without pushback – and cost for the bad actors.’
To watch the telethon from 7-10pm tomorrow night (Tues 20 Aug) go to DefendingDemocracy.au or search “Defending Democracy Australia” on YouTube.
