Nick Hanne: 30 arrests a day ...

How many armed police officers does it take to arrest an Irish comedian?

No, that's not the beginning of a bad joke.

But it's precisely the scenario which Graham Linehan (BAFTA winning comedy writer/producer of such sitcoms as Father Ted and Black Books) faced this week as he stepped off a plane at Heathrow Airport in London.

Nick Hanne: Are we free to talk about foreign interference in NZ?.....

Are we free to talk about foreign interference in NZ? It’s worse than I thought

Both have been subject to surveillance by the CCP, although neither has backed down. We cannot in good conscience let this situation continue. I for one refuse to let it happen in my own backyard.

Nick Hanne: Silenced for exposing foreign interference in NZ? Surely not.

Courage comes in all shapes and sizes.

I saw this for myself last Friday in the Manukau District Court when I went to support Portia Mao on behalf of the Free Speech Union.

Don't let Portia's appearance or gentle demeanour fool you. This pint-sized Kiwi-Chinese journalist isn't backing down to anyone or anything.

Nick Hanne: Keep calm and carry on speaking

As commemorations of the 80th anniversary of V.E. Day occur this week, it is worth remembering not only the 46 million lives that were lost, but also how close fascism came to permanently erasing liberal democracy in Europe. Until recently, the West found this commemoration of the end of WWII a comforting reminder that our forebears secured an unrivalled period of prosperity and peace. Liberal democracies for a good two generations have lived off the afterglow of that victory.

Nick Hanne: Is the Fair Digital News Bargaining Bill a risk for our democracy?

Our politicians are scared of Big Tech, and so they should be. But at some point they’re going to have to address it in a way that not only keeps the marketplace competitive, but also democratic.

The Fair Digital News Bargaining Bill is set to have its second reading in Parliament next week. What happens next has significant implications for the right of all New Zealanders to "seek, impart and receive information and opinions" as guaranteed under section 14 of the Bill of Rights Act.

Nick Hanne: 'Trust me - I know best.'

Declining trust in our society's key institutions undermines their credibility. Kiwis are clearly calling for a return to first principles, and the reality is, protecting free speech is essential if we are to keep public confidence in our key institutions.

It's a major problem.

Declining trust in our society's key institutions undermines their credibility. Kiwis are clearly calling for a return to first principles, and the reality is, protecting free speech is essential if we are to keep public confidence in our key institutions.

Nick Hanne: The NZ Herald and a not so “free” press

While it may seem impossible that this case could get any more ironic, let’s not forget the free publicity which Hobson’s Pledge is now getting due to the furore.

If Hobson’s Pledge, a lobby group led by Don Brash, wasn’t on your radar a few weeks ago, it will almost certainly be now. Of course, it ought not be confused with the ironic term ‘Hobson’s Choice’ which means ‘having no choice at all’, which in light of the NZ Herald’s actions only makes it all the more ironic. I’ll spare you, though, all the details from the controversy of the past two weeks, and deal here instead with two key questions.

The first is relatively easy: Can a newspaper like the NZ Herald lawfully turn down an advertisement?  

The short answer: Yes, they can.

Nick Hanne: Who's teaching our teachers? Punishing dissenting voices in education

Diversity of representation seems only to apply to an individual’s appearance. The prevailing ideology, on the other hand, requires conformity.

Very rarely do you get the chance to witness a truly great teacher at work in the classroom.

Dr Paul Crowhurst has worked in education for over twenty years – almost as long as I’ve known him – and I’ve had the privilege of observing him teach in various contexts, both to children and adults. He’s impressive.

Nick Hanne: Critic, Conscience and Kaupapa: the ongoing Free Speech clash at UoA

Spare a thought for election officials in India who have just run the largest national election in human history. Equally impressive though is the fact that India’s is just one of more than 60 different national elections which will take place in 2024, affecting 50% of the global population. If you were an alien visiting from outer space you could be forgiven for thinking this impressive democratic spectacle represented an upward trend toward greater global liberty and enlightenment.

Everything, however, is not what it seems.

Nick Hanne: “Free speech, but…”

I’m always reluctant to use sporting analogies, especially American ones. But after witnessing what happened yesterday at the Victoria University Free Speech Symposium held in Wellington, I find it impossible not to compare this much anticipated event to the infamous game-fixing of the Baseball World Series of 1919. I’m not suggesting the VUW symposium involved bribes or corruption of any kind. The carefully choreographed proceedings and the overwhelmingly left-leaning panel meant there was absolutely no way the proposed “contest of ideas” would ever have any chance of appearing free or spontaneous.

Nick Hanne: The Censors who'll save us from ourselves......yeah right!

There's a common malady suffered by bureaucracies the world over. They wish to save us from ourselves. Sadly, NZ officials are no less prone to exhibiting symptoms of this occupational condition.

Observe, for instance, the reaction from certain public figures to the news the Department of Internal Affairs has abandoned the formation of a new online super regulator. Without the new state entity criminal activity, according to these critics, we’ll now have free rein on the internet.