Queensland unions are continuing to support the campaign for free speech and to campaign for the repeal of the recent legislation that has criminalised aspects of political debate in Queensland.
Unions have always stood up against attacks on the community and their rights, even when the unions themselves have not been the initial target of these attacks.
In Queensland, we are all particularly vulnerable to an attack on our rights with a parliamentary system that allows for legislation to be rushed through with no scrutiny or accountability.
Queensland workers suffered these attacks first-hand under the Newman government, and now Queensland unions are standing up to protect the rights of others that are under attack.
In March this year, the Crisafulli Government introduced and passed legislation that attacked the right to free speech by prohibiting particular phrases.
The target of this law was not the union movement but the many members of the Queensland community concerned about the humanitarian crisis in Palestine. The Queensland Council of Unions, the peak body for unions to which Together is affiliated, opposed this legislation as a fundamental attack on the rights of all Queenslanders.
Despite widespread community opposition, these laws have been enacted and are being applied in ways that are inconsistent with the political statements by the State Government to justify the introduction of the legislation.
While the laws are now in place, campaigns to oppose the laws and highlight the dangerous precedent they set is continuing. The Together Branch signed the joint statement 'Not Our Law' as part of this campaign.
Today we're launching our own petition. We must continue to put the pressure on the government to repeal these laws that attack our freedom of speech.
