Aontú calls for the Hate Speech Bill to be Binned
Aontú Leader and Midlands, North West candidate Peadar Tóibín TD has called on the government to bin the Hate Speech Bill. He stated:
“The Hate Speech Bill is another example of the chasm that exists between the Political/NGO bubble and the people of Ireland. People just want the Minister for Justice to do her job, employ more Gardaí on decent terms and conditions and make our streets safer. Yet for the last two years Helen McEntee has been completely distracted by a bill is not wanted by the people”.
“The recent referendums highlighted just how detached the government is. And this Bill is very similar to the referendums. At the heart of the problem is definition free phrases that could one day jail you for simply speaking your mind respectfully.
There is no definition of hate and there is no definition of gender. If the government seeks to criminalise a citizen, they have a moral responsibility to clearly set out the legal parameters. On these definitions the government is again asking us to take their word for what these words will mean”.
“The referendum has shown that people do not trust government. The referendums have shown the government openly misled the people as to the advice the received on the meaning of key phrases from the Attorney General. A liberal democracy is built upon allowing ideas to compete with each other, so we can test, challenge and measure their value. Its only through this free and respectful competition of ideas that we can empirically choose the best solutions for the problems society face”.
“In the Hate Speech Bill, the government is seeking to do is to shut down free expression and debate. The government are looking to introduce a censorship bill. They seek to criminalise people and jail people for articulating a different view on certain issues. It is incredible to see SF flip flop on the issue in recent days. Many people my generation joined SF because of the censorship of Section 31. Yet SF not only voted for this censorship Bill but sought to make it more extreme.
Aontú debated and voted against this Bill in the Dáil. The Dáil is already stocked high enough with TDs who simply go whichever way the wind is blowing, it does not need anymore.