Mike Hosking: How democracy can thrive

I think part of the comfort we should take around the so-called "rabid outbreak" of free speech this week is that words don’t automatically lead to anything

You've got your two prime examples: Chloe Swarbrick and her outburst on Palestine, and Willie Jackson and his outburst on a potential vote over the Treaty.

The difference is one has an implied threat and the other doesn’t. Swarbrick should never have said what she said, it's inflammatory.