Many capitalism based companies and governments reap great advantage from laws which work to stifle free speech and small groups interested in having a voice. For example in Melbourne a group formed to Save our Bay some years ago. They were concerned with the environmental and health impacts of dredging up 150 years worth of toxic heavy metals from the mouth of the yarra and placing them in an open bund 6kms of Mordiallic beach, among other issues. Captain of the road transport industry Lindsay Fox even said it was a waste of government money, stating the dredging was pointless in addressing melbournes sea and road transport issues, and a port in Hastings was a better solution.
The community group was legally threatened with having to pay the legal costs p
Of both parties if they lost. This worked quite well to shut them up , and sensor their right to free speech.
A few years on iconic Portsea bay beach does not have a beach anymore , as a result of dredging . Eating bay caught fish could be considered an extreme sport- do I want dioxin in my mussels or fresh flathead. And the big corporation got what they wanted.
I think the wide spread corporate bullying going on, supported by laws enabled by both sides of parliament , is part of the reason a record 1,700,000 Australians voted for the greens at last election. The greens genuinely do support free speech - not slander - there is a difference .
Last edited by LHLisa; 21st April 2012 at 00:38.