Blasphemy laws

Christian-based blasphemy laws still exist in Australia, despite being rarely used. Islamic nations have campaigned in the United Nations to have laws banning blasphemy made mandatory worldwide. All such laws are an attempt to impose religious law, and to impose it in particular upon those who do not believe in that or any other religion. They are designed to protect religions from beneficial exposure to analysis and criticism based on reason and evidence. Such laws are anti-secular and are an unwarranted restriction on the right to freedom of speech. In many countries they lead to gross abuses and violation of human rights.

It is therefore the policy of the Secular Party to abolish blasphemy laws in Australia, and to oppose all blasphemy laws internationally.

Internet censorship

The Secular Party supports the right to access legal information and entertainment. Internet censorship is a tool commonly used by tyrannical regimes. It is hypocritical for Australia to introduce a broad internet censorship scheme which is in principle no different from an authoritarian one.

Under current laws, the Australian Communications and Media Authority may investigate and fine websites hosted in Australia if they contain illegal material; we believe that this is an appropriate method of regulating internet content. Given the technical and ethical concerns with a broad filtering of all internet content, the Secular Party is opposed to any kind of internet filter.