Michael Johnston: Former Victoria University Dean and NZ Initiative senior fellow on the proposed free speech law for universities

A proposed law change will prohibit universities from adopting positions on issues that aren't related to their core role and functions.  

They'll be required to actively promote an environment where ideas can be challenged, controversial issues discussed, and diverse opinions expressed.  

Universities will have to adopt a statement on freedom of speech and report annually on it.  

Former Victoria University dean and NZ Initiative senior fellow Michael Johnston told Heather du Plessis-Allan it's not a silver bullet to solve the culture problem at universities, but is necessary.  

He says problems on campuses are in part a result of a political bias pretty strongly to the left. 

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
The government's decided to give unis a bit of a
hand sorting out their free speech guidelines. A law will
be passed forcing the unis to adopt a freedom of
speech statement and then also banning them from taking any
positions on issues unrelated to their core functions, like the
war in Gaza, for example. With US now as former
Victoria University Dean and New Zealand Initiative Senior Fellow Michael Johnston, Heymichael.

Speaker 2 (00:20):
Good morning.

Speaker 1 (00:21):
Aren't they already legally supposed to do this because of
the Education Act and the Bill of Rights?

Speaker 2 (00:26):
Yes, they are. The Education and Training Act certainly makes
very clear their obligations to provide a venue for academics
and students to freely discuss ideas and challenge controversial ideas
and so on, and the Human Rights Act guarantees freedom
of speech. The problem is that if they don't uphold

(00:47):
those obligations, then academics and students have very little recourse.
They can go to court or perhaps the Human Rights Tribunal,
but those time consuming exercises and onerous and in the
case of the court's expensive, So they need a bit
of help.

Speaker 1 (01:03):
So how does this law change it? Does it give
them a course.

Speaker 2 (01:07):
Well, one of the stipulations is that there needs to
be a robust complaints procedure, So yes, it really would
help with that.

Speaker 1 (01:16):
How do you feel about this? I mean, in an
ideal world, you want them to sort of get to
the point where they realize how important free speeches of
their own ecoio.

Speaker 2 (01:24):
Well, an ideal world for sure, and in fact, in
the past it's been a lot better. I've been around
university is a very long time. My father was an
academic and I remember an environment that was very different
to the current one. So the culture is the root
problem in universities, and in particular that the culture in

(01:45):
the university management.

Speaker 1 (01:47):
Now. The problem is if you're forcing it on them
rather than them voluntarily and through their own intelligence realizing
how important free speeches, then aren't they just going to
find other ways to get around it and do what
they want anyway, like citing health and safety.

Speaker 2 (02:00):
As a risk of that for sure, And this is
not a silver bullet to solve the cultural problem, but
I do think that it's necessary and hopefully it will
shake them up enough to instigate a culture change. Now
that will take time. Cultures don't change overnight and certainly.
I would say that the problems on campuses are in

(02:24):
part a result of a political bias pretty strongly to
the left, and there's a lack of viewpoint diversity amongst
staff as a result of that. That's the sort of
thing that requires quite a long process to change, But
in the immediate term, I do think that universities need

(02:47):
some help to recognize their existing obligations.

Speaker 1 (02:50):
As you've said, it really is like putting training wheels
on the mome. Michael. Thank you. Michael Johnston, former Victoria
University dean and Initiative New Zealand Initiative Seen You Felt.
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