More about the Sydney University Troublemakers

Bettina Arndt

Fascinating developments regarding the action I have taken against key organisers of the Sydney University protest who tried to stop me speaking on about the fake rape crisis last month. Here’s my new video:



Please help me circulate it. And don’t forget to like it and subscribe.

This one is mainly about Maddy Ward who proudly takes ownership of the event, along with fellow activist Jessica Syed.

The two of them have quite a history. We were amazed to discover that last year the University of Sydney investigated Maddy Ward for her role in a protest against an anti-abortion group which had a stall on campus. She abused and harassed them and showed them her tits! See the photo below of Ward and Syed, taken on the day.

Work Dynamic, the firm which investigates such matters for the University, suggested Ward be given a semester’s suspension for misconduct. Ward claimed in a Buzzfeed article that the investigation was so stressful it triggered her depression and she failed a semester of her studies as a result. Yet the University failed to act prompting a NSW Labor MP Greg Donnelly to speak about the delay in parliament. (Contrary to Ward’s claims, Donnelly did not orchestrate the Christian lobby against her.)

The outcome was extraordinary. The University dropped the charges against Ward and has refused to release details of  their decision even to the anti-abortion complainants who took action against Ward. The University claimed the matter was  confidential.      

The anti-abortion incident is only one example of endless troublemaking by Ward.  Maddy Ward and Jessica Syed, another of the women I named in my complaint, were in strife earlier this year for endorsing violence against Israeli soldiers in the form of a "martyred" female suicide bomber on the front page of the student magazine.

Here’s a quote from the article:

"Women’s officers Madeline Ward and Jessica Syed, who produced the al-Tahir cover, defended their actions in an online Honi Soi article. “We were aware that Hamida al-Taher car-bombed an Israeli military encampment … (but) her actions occurred in the context of the Israeli invasion and occupation of Lebanon, i.e.: a war,” they wrote. “We believe in and support the right for people to resist occupation and oppression”

It will be interesting to see whether Sydney University continues to protect these young women who are clearly responsible for so many breaches to university regulations. We now have submitted five long videos providing evidence of the key protesters in action. There’s a particularly interesting sequence in this new video showing Ward encouraging the crowd to harass an older man who was trying to make his way through the protesters to reach my talk and then resisting being removed by the riot squad.

It's been exciting to see how many prominent people have spoken out in the last few weeks about the need for universities to protect free speech on campuses, including the Education Minister, the Attorney General, a number of Senators, a Chancellor and former Vice-Chancellor. The Australian has published two editorials and numerous media commentators have weighed in, using my case to argue that universities are failing to promote proper intellectual debate and challenging ideas.

Sydney University has refused to refund the security fee – Vice Chancellor Michael Spence claimed the security guards “acted within the protocols required of them.” How is it possible that the universities security guards are not required to ensure unruly students don’t breach universities regulations. We are following up this issue. 

Yet the university has commenced their investigation into my complaint and  have asked for a list of witnesses for their lawyers to interview. They say the whole process may take months, given that the university then presents my named group of key protesters with a notice of allegation and they are then given time to respond.

I’ve recently postponed talks in UWA and ANU. It proved too difficult to make these events happen in a hurry, with universities naturally putting students hosting my talks through a long form-filling process regarding security and so on. We are making big plans for my campus tour next year, giving plenty of time for the universities to provide venues. I have the impression that a number of universities are now keen to step up and use my talks as proof of their new credentials in supporting free speech. Now that’s quite a breakthrough.

But I still need student groups across Australia willing to host events. The Liberal Club students at La Trobe and Sydney really put themselves on the map by being brave enough to be the first to host my events and are receiving great kudos as a result. Please help me find other courageous souls to push this process along.

It’s marvellous that my campus tour has prompted such a lively discussion about free speech on campus but I still have a long way to go to persuade universities to be braver about the fake rape crisis.

By email from Bettina [bettina@bettinaarndt.com.au]





Minister backs science on weedkiller use

Agriculture Minister David Littleproud has backed the government's pesticide regulator over concerns the world's most popular weedkiller is unsafe.

The Cancer Council wants an independent review into glyphosate, the active ingredient in Roundup, after it was linked to non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.

But Mr Littleproud said the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority had determined the chemical was safe.

"The science of the independent regulator says this chemical is safe if you follow the instructions," the minister told Sky News on Tuesday.

"I just say to everybody use some common sense, follow the instructions and you'll be OK."

Debate over glyphosate was reignited in August after a Californian jury ordered agribusiness giant Monsanto pay $US289 million ($A399 million) in damages to a former groundskeeper dying of cancer.

Mr Littleproud said that case and others aired by the ABC's Four Corners on Monday highlighted excessive exposure.

"Home gardeners shouldn't get too worried about this, You're not going to get exposed to levels so long as you follow the instructions," he said.

The minister said farmers were using the chemical in a sensible way, adding agriculture had come a long way in how pesticides were used.

"I just say to everyone calm down ... and have faith that we have the best science in the world," Mr Littleproud said.

APVMA's review came after a 2015 report by the International Agency for Research on Cancer, a World Health Organisation body, found glyphosate was "probably carcinogenic to humans".

Labor seized on the concerns, demanding a Senate inquiry into the independence and decision-making of the pesticides agency.

"This issue is too important to the agricultural community, to Australia's farmers, and to consumers to be left unresolved," opposition agriculture spokesman Joel Fitzgibbon said on Tuesday.

Labor also wants to investigate the impact of moving the regulator from Canberra to Armidale in northern NSW.

"There is no doubt the government's decision to relocate the APVMA has impacted on its operations," Mr Fitzgibbon said.

But Mr Littleproud accused the opposition of playing politics, saying the agency's most recent assessment was conducted before the relocation started.

National Farmers' Federation president Fiona Simson said the scientific evidence overwhelmingly proved the chemical was safe.

"There is simply no alternative that is as safe and as effective as glyphosate, for these purposes," Ms Simson said.

SOURCE 





Right-wing firebrand Milo Yiannopoulos announces ANOTHER tour of Australia – and says it’s bad news for Waleed Aly, Clementine Ford and Yassmin Abdel-Magied

Right-wing provocateur Milo Yiannopoulos is ready to unleash on Australian public figures in his second tour Down Under.

The outspoken firebrand, who is infamous for criticising feminism, political correctness and Islam, will be joining forces with US conservative speaker Ann Coulter next month.

The outspoken duo have vowed to cause uproar, claiming the tour will guest star Julia Gillard, Malcolm Turnbull, Clementine Ford, Waleed Aly, Yassmin Abdel Magied and Jacinta Ardern, 'although they don't know it yet'.

The outspoken duo Milo Yiannopoulos and Ann Coulter are coming down under to speak against feminism, political correctness and the religion of Islam

Mr Yiannopoulos said his second tour was to 'save glorious Australians' from 'bonkers feminists of the American culture wars and the wacky social justice warriors who want to hand Western civilization over to Muslims and race-baiters'. 

The controversial star sparked violent protests at his sold out shows last year across Australia

During his Sydney show, Mr Yiannopoulos attracted 100 protesters who chanted 'F*** off Nazi' in violent scenes that led to seven arrests. Inside the venue, an audience member threw a shoe at him during his speech.

It is not clear whether Mr Yiannopoulos plans to pay back the bill he was ordered to pay by Victoria Police to cover the costs of manning the protests outside his talk in Melbourne.

Last year, Clementine Ford declined Mr Yiannopoulos' invitation to debate on controversial issues and said, 'I would never legitimise Milo's existence or Nazi links by appearing anywhere with him'.

Mr Yiannopoulos has labelled her 'vindictive, spiteful' and 'particularly unintelligent'.

He also said he watched The Project through 'gritted teeth', and found Waleed Aly to be an 'intellectual lightweight' and 'insubstantial'.  He has also labelled the panelist on Network Ten as a 'coward' for avoiding to interview him on live TV.

In an appearance on the Bolt Report, Mr Yiannopoulos announced his new book coming out called 'Australia, You're My Only Hope,' which he described as a last-ditch effort to save Australians from 'the cancers of public life'.

Ann Coulter, an American conservative commentator, has written a succession of high-selling books on U.S. politics and culture.

Ms Coulter is a regular guest on Fox News programs and has made provocative appearances on liberal shows such as Real Time and The View, where she commonly raises the hackles of hosts and audiences.

The tour is advertised as 'an evening of hysterical, irreverent comedy and incisive political commentary with two undisputed queens of American conservatism'.

General admission to the Milo and Anne: Live tour begins at $89 and go up to $499 for VIP Tickets.

The price for a VIP Cruise ticket has been set at $999, which includes a 1.5h private mingle with Ann & Milo in a private yacht cruise, food platter and drinks, photo with the speakers, and signed merchandise. 

SOURCE 






PM plays down changing gay student laws

A long-awaited review into religious freedoms in Australia does not recommend any changes to the basis on which faith-based schools can reject students or teachers, the attorney-general has confirmed.

Some states - but not all - already allow schools to discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation, gender identity or relationship status.

Commonwealth laws also contain some provisions to permit faith-based schools to exercise this discretion.

A Fairfax Media report suggested a religious freedoms review recommended the right be enshrined in the federal Sex Discrimination Act to ensure a consistent national approach.

The review's panel, chaired by former Liberal minister Phillip Ruddock, said it accepted the right of schools to select or preference students who uphold their religious convictions.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison played down the proposal on Wednesday, saying such exemptions to anti-discrimination laws already exist.

"We're not proposing to change that law to take away that existing arrangement," he told reporters on the NSW Central Coast.

Attorney-General Christian Porter later clarified that no changes to the current arrangement, created by Labor in 2013, are proposed in the report. "The Ruddock report does not recommend any changes to this regime," Mr Porter said.

Opposition Leader Bill Shorten said he can't believe the prime minister hasn't ruled out the "silly" idea completely. "The fact is every child is entitled to human dignity. We shouldn't even be having this debate," Mr Shorten told reporters in Melbourne, demanding the government release the report.

Treasurer Josh Frydenberg said Labor's concerns about discrimination against children were jumping the gun, insisting the government would "get the balance right" and leave existing laws untouched.

But Special Minister of State Alex Hawke strongly supports the proposal, saying it is up to individual Christian schools to negotiate their handling of gay students. "I don't think it's controversial in Australia that people expect religious schools to teach the practice of their faith and their religion," he told Sky News.

Fellow Liberal MP Tim Wilson said he wouldn't be supporting any new laws that would broaden grounds for discrimination, and does not think the coalition would either.

The Ruddock review was commissioned after the 2017 national same-sex marriage vote and handed to the government several months ago, but is yet to be released.

Gay rights activists have slammed the proposal as a shameful assault on equality. Alex Greenwich, who co-chaired the national campaign in support of same-sex marriage, is demanding the federal government rule it out.

The panel reportedly did not accept that businesses should be allowed to refuse services on religious grounds, such as denying a gay couple a wedding cake.

The review also found civil celebrants should not be entitled to refuse to conduct same-sex weddings if they became celebrants after it was was legalised, Fairfax Media reported.

SOURCE 

Posted by John J. Ray (M.A.; Ph.D.).    For a daily critique of Leftist activities,  see DISSECTING LEFTISM.  To keep up with attacks on free speech see Tongue Tied. Also, don't forget your daily roundup  of pro-environment but anti-Greenie  news and commentary at GREENIE WATCH .  Email me  here