This week on the New Politics podcast, we examine the growing crackdown on protest rights and political dissent in Australia, after 20 people were arrested in Brisbane for displaying a banner and chanting the phrase “from the river to the sea,” raising serious questions about free speech, anti-protest laws, and the erosion of democratic freedoms.
We look at how legislation in Queensland and New South Wales is blurring the line between legitimate political expression and so-called hate speech, and why these laws are increasingly being used to silence pro-Palestine activism, with even Jewish and Indigenous Australians caught up in the net.
We explore the contradictions at the heart of this crackdown, including the use of the same phrase by Israeli leaders such as Benjamin Netanyahu, and what this reveals about selective enforcement, political pressure, and the influence of pro-Israel lobbying in Australian politics. We also take a closer look at the role of key political figures including David Crisafulli and Chris Minns, the impact of Israel study tours on Australian MPs, and why multiple pieces of legislation that were pushed through despite warnings of unconstitutionality, are now being struck down by the courts – exposing serious concerns about governance, legal competence, and the willingness of governments to test constitutional limits to appease powerful interests.
Beyond protest laws, we connect these developments to broader structural issues in Australian politics, including the surge in defence spending, the $368 billion AUKUS deal, and the simultaneous scaling back of the National Disability Insurance Scheme, with up to 160,000 people potentially affected by cuts announced by Health Minister Mark Butler.
We analyse the contrast between the ease with which billions are allocated to military expansion and the resistance to funding essential social services like healthcare, housing, education and disability support, highlighting a growing imbalance in national priorities. We also examine Australia’s deepening alignment with United States foreign policy, the increasing militarisation of the economy, and the implications of contracts with companies such as Palantir, whose AI surveillance and defence technologies have been linked to controversial operations in Gaza and beyond. As Australia becomes more embedded in US-led defence and intelligence systems, including AUKUS and Pine Gap, we ask what this means for sovereignty, independence, and the country’s ability to act in its own national interest.
