First the Andrew Bolt case. Next the Alan Jones case.

Then on 2 March 2012 Julia Gillard’s media inquiry called for press censorship in Australia.

To fight for freedom of speech the IPA needs to do more than just research. That’s why we are launching the IPA Freedom of Speech Fighting Fund.

Donations to support the regular research activities of the IPA are tax deductible. But we want the IPA Freedom of Speech Fighting Fund to do more than just research. We’ll use the fund to take the fight right up to the politicians and the regulators who are taking away our freedoms. And we need to communicate to the Australian people about this massive attack on their rights. Because we’ll be doing a lot more than research, donations to the fund won’t be tax deductible.

The IPA is fighting for freedom of speech right now and every day.

And most Australians agree with us. An IPA poll conducted last September of 1,052 Australians by Galaxy Research showed that 82% of Australians supported the right to free speech over the ‘right not to be offended’.

But there’s a problem. The problem is that most Australians don’t know about the attacks on our freedom of speech. We need to tell them.

And with your support we will tell them. Here’s how we’ll do it:

  1. We’ll launch Freedom Watch, a regular email service to alert Australians about the threats to their free speech
  2. We’ll hold freedom of speech briefings in Canberra and every capital city for our politicians
  3. We’ll reach out to young people online to convince them about the need to defend free speech
  4. We’ll commission legal advice to find out whether a compulsory media regulator is constitutional, and
  5. We’ll mail a new book on free speech to every major judge, legislator and journalist in the country

That’s why we need to raise $160,000 to launch our IPA Freedom of Speech Fighting Fund. Not just to defend freedom of speech – but to win it back.

So please consider making any donation you can to support free speech – it will make a difference.

Freedom of speech is our most fundamental right. It must be defended, and it must be fought for.

John Roskam
Executive Director – Institute of Public Affairs