Uniform defamation laws are long overdue but will face stiff opposition

The ACT should have the most objection to the Ruddock proposals. Under changes steered through by Gary Humphries when he was Attorney-General, the ACT has the most pro-free-speech defamation laws in Australia – and the sky has not fallen in. In an ideal world the ACT’s laws would be the model. But given politicians are unlikely to give anything to the media this is a hopeless cause. Nonetheless, the Ruddock plan picks up at least some of the ACT reforms.

ACT media has less to lose with the Ruddock proposal than it would seem. Any leeway given by liberal ACT laws can be simply counter-acted by plaintiffs taking action in NSW.

With any luck the states and territories will object like crazy and needle the Commonwealth into doing what it should have done in 1973: passed a uniform law that would cover all broadcast and corporate media and all of their individual employees and contractors (very important), leaving it open to the states to apply it for all cases.

And with any luck, when the Bill reaches the Senate, the detail can be negotiated more in favour of freedom of speech.