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Shaneel Lal counter-protesting at Posie Parker's event in Albert Park on March 25. Photo / Dean Purcell

OPINION:

Shaneel Lals column provides a wonderful chance to talk about what free speech is and isnt.

There is the high school libertarian version - you can say anything to anyone at any time, and anyone who disagrees is a cry baby. But thats not a realistic model that any serious person believes in 2023.

In the world we live today, there are a web of rules that even hardcore free-speech advocates like me respect. What they have in common is that they can be fairly applied to all, in accordance with the rule of law.

The Crimes Act has several prohibitions on free speech. You cant directly incite another person to commit a crime. You can say the rich have had it too good too long. You cannot say to an excited mob go and burn down that big house to teach the rich a lesson. Nor can you threaten a person with a crime. You cannot blackmail someone, nor can you be a criminal nuisance (the classic yelling fire in a crowded theatre).

Those restrictions bind us all, but there are others you can voluntarily enter. If you work for a high-tech firm, you have probably signed a non-disclosure agreement, promising you wont tell anyone the firms secrets. If you are sworn into Parliament, you agree to a set of rules called the Standing Orders that govern what you can and cant say in certain circumstances.

If you become a Cabinet Minister youre bound by the Cabinet Manual which includes things like exercising a professional approach and good judgement in their interactions with the public and officials, and in all their communications, personal and professional.

So why did ACT and many others spend years successfully fighting against so-called hate speech laws, if we accept all the above restrictions? Why did Labour ultimately decide not to introduce more restrictions on speech, after being gung ho?

In a word, subjectivity. All the above restrictions are matters of fact, or private contract. You can tell if youve done wrong by reading the law, and it applies to all equally.

Hate speech laws abandoned by Labour would have made it a crime to intentionally incite/stir up, maintain or normalise hatred through threatening, abusive or insulting communications, including inciting violence. How could a person accused defend themselves? How do you prove that you didnt intend to stir up hatred using insulting language?

As the Royal Commission on the Christchurch mosque attacks said, The difference between legally criminalised hate speech and the vigorous exercise of the right to express opinions is not easy to capture in legislative language.

When challenged to define hate speech on television, then-Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said you know it when you see it. Not really the kind of legal precision youd want when defending yourself against jail time.

Usually the point of the law is you know what actions would break it and can defend yourself if accused. As historian Paul Moon has said, hate speech laws are so subjective the accused wont know if theyre guilty until the point of conviction.

ACT opposed hate speech laws because they are subjective. They are inconsistent with the rule of law in a way that other restrictions are not. They would be applied more often against the politically unpopular, meaning law enforcement became opinion enforcement.

Lal says I, hypocritically, only object to free speech when my feelings are hurt, or I disagree. All the examples they cite are of legitimate restrictions on speech that Ive always supported.

Rawiri Waititi should apologise for threatening to poison me (threats). I blocked Golriz Gharamans attempt to speak in Parliament after she repeatedly interrupted mine. If you want the privilege of speaking in Parliament, you must grant it to others (standing orders).

Tusiata Avia performed a poem where she suggested Captain Cook, and white men like him should be hunted down and stabbed with pig knives (incitement).

The Prime Minster should sack Marama Davidson for breaching the Cabinet Manual she signed up to and for being an ineffective minister as Ive said (Cabinet Manual).

Far from having my feelings hurt by Jacinda calling me an arrogant prick, I accepted her apology and proposed we auction the Hansard, raising $100,100 for the Prostate Cancer Foundation, supporting pricks everywhere!

As a matter of fact Ardern texted her apology after I raised a point of order. But my raising it also meant it would be written down in Hansard and later auctioned (standing orders again)!

I could go on but, suffice to say, free speech matters, it is the foundation of a free society, alongside the rule of law it depends on. If you believe in free speech, understanding its lawful limits is as important as defending it against unlawful erosion.

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David Seymour: What free speech really is - New Zealand Herald

New Zealands central bank surprised economists on Wednesday by imposing an aggressive half-point rate rise to bring its benchmark interest rate to 5.25%

By

NICK PERRY Associated Press

April 4, 2023, 11:43 PM ET

3 min read

WELLINGTON, New Zealand -- New Zealand's central bank surprised economists on Wednesday by imposing an aggressive half-point rate rise to bring its benchmark interest rate to 5.25%.

It was the Reserve Bank of New Zealand's 11th straight rate hike as it tries to cool inflation, which is running at 7.2%, far above the bank's target level of around 2%.

It brings the key rate to its highest level since the Global Financial Crisis in 2008.

New Zealand's benchmark rate is now among the highest in the developed world, and the bank's aggressive action stood in contrast to Australia's central bank, which on Tuesday decided to pause its round of rate hikes and leave its benchmark rate at 3.6%.

Most economists had expected the Reserve Bank of New Zealand to impose a more modest quarter-point rise after the nation's economy contracted in the December quarter and a destructive cyclone hit in February, killing 11 people and causing billions of dollars in damage to homes and infrastructure.

The currency rose on the announcement, with 1 New Zealand dollar trading at about U.S.$0.64.

The increase can raise the borrowing costs for consumers on everything from credit cards to mortgages.

The Reserve Bank's Monetary Policy Committee said in a statement that inflation remained too high and too persistent while employment was beyond its maximum sustainable level, with the unemployment rate at a low 3.4%.

The committee acknowledged that economic activity in the December quarter was lower than it anticipated.

However, demand continues to significantly outpace the economys supply capacity, thereby maintaining pressure on annual inflation," it said.

The committee said the recent severe weather had led to higher prices for some goods and services, increasing the risk that inflation expectations would remain too high.

It said that over the medium term, it expects economic activity to get a boost from the Cyclone Gabrielle rebuild.

New Zealands economic growth is expected to slow through 2023, given the slowing global economy, reduced residential building activity, and the ongoing effects of the monetary policy tightening to date, the committee said. This slowdown in spending growth is necessary to return inflation to target over the medium-term.

The rate rise caused concern among lawmakers across the political spectrum.

Mortgages are just one aspect of the economic pain that is coming," said David Seymour, leader of the libertarian ACT Party. Something has to break if the Reserve Bank continues with these hikes and the next thing will be job losses.

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New Zealand's central bank hikes key interest rate to 5.25% - ABC News

A man who ran for Illinois governor in 2018 was sentenced to four years in prison on charges stemming from threatening two Lake County judges.

Grayson K. Jackson, also known as Kash Jackson and Benjamin Winderweedle, 44, threatened to kill the two judges who presided over an ongoing civil case Jackson was party to during a call in October 2021 to the Lake County Sheriffs Court Security Office, officials said.

Grayson Jackson (Daily Herald Media Group)

The case was prosecuted in DuPage County at the request of Lake County officials to avoid a conflict of interest.

On Thursday afternoon, a DuPage County judge accepted a plea deal negotiated between Jacksons attorney and DuPage prosecutors. The deal called for Jackson to plead guilty to two counts of threatening a public official, a class 3 felony punishable by up to five years in prison. Both sides agreed for Jackson to serve two 4-year terms in prison, one for each count, according to Paul Darrah, a spokesman for the DuPage County States Attorneys Office.

Both sentences will be served concurrently. If Jackson exhibits good behavior while in prison, he will be eligible to serve 50% of his sentence. Jackson also will receive credit for the 479 days he served in Lake County jail while the case was pending, Darrah said.

Four counts of intimidation were dropped, according to court records.

Jackson was taken into custody at his home in Arkansas days after he made the threats and was extradited to Lake County jail.

Jackson, a retired U.S. Navy officer then living in Antioch, ran for governor on the Libertarian Party ticket in 2018 and lost in the general election.

https://www.dailyherald.com/news/20230407/former-governor-candidate-gets-4-years-in-prison-for-threatening-lake-county-judges

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Former governor candidate gets 4 years in prison for threatening ... - Shaw Local

Ubet, WIThe Libertarian Party of Wisconsin (LPWI) will have two keynote speakers at its annual convention in Milwaukee, Saturday, April 15th. Elizabeth Coquillard and William Henry, who co-direct Liberty Offense, a non-profit organization that addresses constitutional and personal rights violations, will conclude the days events at the evening dinner. Coquillard and Henry work through public and community action to address the issues of rights violations through all branches of government and media.

The LPWI convention, which will take place at the Potawatomi Casino & Hotel, begins at 8 AM, Saturday, April 15th, as part of a weekend for networking, meetings, and party business, including the elections for the Executive Committee for the 2023-2025 term. The events and the convention will simulcast online atwww.lpwi.org.

Coquillard, a noted liberty political activist, and Henry, a veteran and a communications professional, address the Libertarians as a pressure builds among American citizens against the discredited two-party system for the bipartisan inability to solve the material and ethical problems facing America. Coquillard and Henry speak as two private citizens who empower people to fight peacefully for their right of free choice and consent in all political, economic, social, and cultural matters against the ever-increasing, and abusive, power of government

For more info on the Libertarian Party of Wisconsin, the convention and simulcast, or to view the Party platform, please visitwww.lpwi.org.

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Libertarian Party of Wisconsin: Freedom & rights activists will ... - WisPolitics.com

At least three people are running this year to represent northwest Spokane on the City Council, and at least two of them may be familiar to local voters.

Randy McGlenn II, former chair of the state Libertarian Party and active member of his neighborhood councils, was the first to announce his candidacy. He previously made three unsuccessful runs for state legislature.

Christopher Savage, board president for Meals on Wheels Spokane, was the second to announce. This will be his third run in four years for a seat on city council.

Esteban Herevia, who until recently served as president and CEO of Spokane Pride, which organizes the annual Spokane Pride Parade and Festival, was the last to announce. This will be Herevias first run for public office.

Theyre all running for a seat in District 3 held by Councilwoman Karen Stratton, who will reach her term limit at the end of the year. The district, which has two seats, is also represented by Councilman Zack Zappone, whose term is not up until 2025.

The district stretches north from the Spokane River and west of Division Street, and after redistricting in 2022 also includes Brownes Addition. Growth has outstripped infrastructure improvements in some parts of the district, particularly in the North Indian Trail, Five Mile and West Central neighborhoods, according to the districts incumbents.

My district doesnt care who I voted for president, and they dont want political fights, said Stratton in a brief interview. They want safe parks, garbage picked up, streets plowed.

Though Herevia, McGlenn and Savage are the first to announce their candidacy, they might not be the last. Candidates will have until filing week, May 15-19, to throw their hats into the ring.

Unlike other candidates already in the race to represent northwest Spokane, Herevia has never run for public office .

It wasnt my first choice, he joked in an interview. Its not something I thought Id do.

But I care for my community, and I understand that the ways Ive contributed in the nonprofit world could be replicated in civil service.

Like other candidates running for public office, Herevia is running on improving public safety and increasing the citys housing stock.

Also like other candidates, he had few concrete proposals for how to do that, saying he was still at the stage of the campaign where he was focused on listening to the concerns of voters.

I think were at a time in the city where we need mediators, he said.

He emphasized that he wants more resources provided to support law enforcement during domestic violence calls, which can be particularly dangerous to both law enforcement and the public.

Hes also focused on improving the conditions of local streets and other transportation infrastructure, saying hed like to look at finding more room in the budget to patch potholes and maintain roads.

It might seem trivial, but potholes are a big deal, he said. We need to be able to get to work without damaging our cars.

He also said he wants to build better job pipelines for local residents, including by strengthening relationships with local colleges and universities.

We need to be thinking about, how can we be increasing the capacity of our citizens and community members, whether thats through job pathways or their health and well-being? he said.

Originally from California, Herevia moved to Spokane in 2016 to work at Whitworth University.

I fell in love with Spokane, he said. It felt like the right community, the right blend of people.

Today, he works as the Pathways and Inclusion Coordinator for Washington State University Spokane.

Herevia stressed that he is a member of the working class.

Im a renter, I work multiple jobs to pay my rent, so I understand what its like for folks who are living paycheck to paycheck, he said.

McGlenn is no stranger to running for public office. In 2014, 2016 and 2018, he ran as a Libertarian for a seat on the state Legislature against Rep. Marcus Riccelli, D-Spokane.

Though he lost each time to the incumbent, the experience taught him the ropes of running a campaign and listening to constituents, he said in an interview. Hes spent the last seven years earning his stripes, he said, including by serving on the East Central Neighborhood Council for six years, including a stint as its chair.

He serves as the community assembly representative for the West Central Neighborhood Council.

Now in his first run for city-level office, McGlenn said he plans to set aside his party affiliation while trying to bring smart solutions to the nonpartisan City Council seat. He said he was inspired to run for council after witnessing the contentious fight between state and city leaders over Camp Hope.

We need to fix this in our government, this type of tribalism and especially partisan politics in a nonpartisan government, he said.

McGlenn said his focus was on improving public safety, housing and homelessness, though he offered few concrete policy proposals.

I can talk to you all day long about computer networks and technology, but Im not a housing expert or public safety expert, he said. I wouldnt dare work on policy without consulting the experts.

McGlenn had more to say about the process of governance, saying hed like to bring the citys technology into the 21st century and take a long hard look at its budget, including the councils own departmental expenditures on staff.

He emphasized that he would be willing to work with any elected leader or community group to reach consensus.

Bottom line is, I want to make policy that creates a sustainable government, that respects the rights of everyone, that is responsive to our citizens, and making everyone feel heard at city hall, he said.

Though McGlenn was born in Tacoma, he was 3 months old when his family moved to Spokane. He joined the U.S. Army in 1994, working for four years the paper pusher arm of the institution processing assignments and promotions. He went back to school in 2000 to pursue an education in technology, and has worked various positions since graduation in the tech sector, including programming, networking and business technology solutions.

Savage ran unsuccessfully for City Council in 2019 and 2021.

Third times the charm, Savage said in a recent interview. I think Ive troubleshooted a lot and corrected mistakes from past runs, and Im concerned about the direction this city is going.

If elected, Savage said he would provide a different perspective than the councils left-leaning supermajority on myriad issues. He pointed to recent votes on higher fees on new development, saying that he preferred the lighter touch advocated for by Councilman Jonathan Bingle.

His top campaign issues include public safety, housing and homelessness.

Though Savage presented few specific policies to improve public safety, he said that he would better support police, decrying what he felt was a standoff relationship between the council majority and law enforcement.

On affordable housing, Savage said he would work to expand the citys boundary for growth when it revisits the Growth Management Act in 2026.

I dont want to abolish (the GMA), but I want to increase the artificial ring around the city of Spokane to assist with development, he said.

Savage said he supported efforts to create a regional homelessness workgroup in order to cut redundancies in social services.

While he wasnt prepared to make definitive statements on how we would like to reform the citys shelter system, he expressed skepticism that the city was carefully selecting the vendors that provide services.

Savage has lived most of his life in Spokane. He is board president of Meals on Wheels Spokane and the community assembly representative for the Balboa/South Indian Trail Neighborhood Council.

A former Lyft driver, Savage works at Project Beauty Share, a nonprofit that provides hygiene and beauty products to disadvantages women and families.

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Three candidates announce campaigns to represent northwest ... - The Spokesman Review