David Farrar: Hutt City Council backs down

The FSU announced:

Following a legal battle between Hutt City Council and the Free Speech Union over the Council’s censorship of inserts on Council sites, the parties have agreed to settle. The Council will make several public statements affirming its commitment to free speech, and its role as a gateway for information, not a gatekeeper, says Jonathan Ayling, Chief Executive of the Free Speech Union.

David Farrar: A hero staffer at Hutt City

Bravo to Joann Ransom, the Head of Libraries at Hutt Council. As you can see above she fought against the decision of the Hutt Council to remove an insert from Hutt News they didn’t like (the insert was a copy of a pamphlet Sir Apirana Ngata wrote on the Treaty).

David Farrar: The only way they’ll stop

The FSU announced:

Today, the Free Speech Union will sue both Hutt City Council and its Chief Executive, Jo Miller (in her personal capacity), after they censored an insert at Council libraries and information centres, breaching Hutt City residents’ freedom of expression, says Jonathan Ayling, Chief Executive of the Free Speech Union.

“Last year, the Hutt City Council removed a paid advertisement inserted in newspapers from all council sites. We believe this is an unlawful act that flies in the face of ratepayers’ speech rights.

Stephen Franks On The Pamphlet Banned From City Council Premises

Sean Plunket talks to Stephen Franks on The Platform about the pamphlet banned from Hutt City Council premises.

Click to view

Paul Brennan chats to Jonathan Ayling about Hutt City Council's banning of Sir Apirana Ngata

Free Speech Union Chief Executive Jonathan Ayling joins Paul Brennan on Reality Check Radio to discuss an open letter to Local Government Minister Simeon Brown about a case of censorship - the cancelling of Sir Apirana Ngata by the Lower Hutt City Council.

Click to listen