Free speech hurt despite ‘best intentions’: IPA’s Matthew Lesh

Policies made with the ‘best intentions’ to create a safe environment could still hurt free speech, the IPA says.

Matthew Lesh

University policies adopted with the “best intentions” to create a safe environment for students and staff could nevertheless undermine free speech, according to Institu­te of Public Affairs research fellow Matthew Lesh.

“When you hear an idea which fundamentally challenges you it can be quite offensive, it can hurt your feelings,” Mr Lesh told a Campus Review seminar on free speech last week.

Mr Lesh is the author of the IPA’s controversial article Free Speech on Campus Audit, which labelled the anti-bullying policies adopted by many universities as a restriction on freedom of speech.

In his audit, Mr Lesh identified various university anti-bullying and harassment policies that forbade causing hurt feelings, ­causing emotional injury, and unwelcome behaviour as inhibiting freedom of speech.

Western Sydney University deputy vice-chancellor (strategy and planning) Sharon Bell said it was frustrating to the higher-­education sector that the full picture of the views and ideas expressed in universities was often not evident in the debate about free speech.

“There is no attempt to discuss the huge range of events which take place on our campuses throughout the country on a daily basis,” she said.

Mr Lesh also said he was concerned by the University of Sydney’s decision to charge student organisers of a speech by author Bettina Arndt a security fee to deal with the expected demonstration by other students. “It seems patentl­y unfair to punish the people organising the event because of the potentially negative respons­e of other people,” he said.

Mr Lesh said he had no problem with universities charging outside event organisers security fees when they hired university faciliti­es.

“It does worry me when it’s selectiv­ely done for students. The problem is when it’s charged for students because of the actions of some other students,” he said.

In a rebuttal to Mr Lesh, a ­seminar delegate from the Univers­ity of Sydney said that the student demonstration against Ms Arndt two months ago was not an example of inhibiting freedom of speech.

She said the demonstration was “tame”, people were not prevente­d from entering the venue, and when the protesters were asked to move off they did so.

“Putting this out as evidence that there is a free speech problem is not helpful,” she said.