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Free To Speak

Free Speech Union
Free Speech
New Zealand
Censorship
Broadcasting Standards Authority
Free Speech Union
Hate Speech
Hate Speech Laws
Freedom Of Expression
Internetnz
Education
Freedom Of Speech
Hate Crime Laws
Conversion Practices Prohibition Legislation Act
New Zealand Free Speech Union
Harmful Digital Communications Act
Frank Kameny
Treaty Principles Bill
Social Cohesion
Democracy
Marxism

Free to Speak is the New Zealand podcast that goes beyond headlines to explore the principles behind our most contentious debates.Produced by the New Zealand Free Speech Union, it examines freedom of expression and why it matters to a free and democratic society.Expect interviews with guests from New Zealand and around the world, plus deep dives with our Council into the cases and policy work shap... more

PublishesWeeklyEpisodes200Founded7 years ago
Number of ListenersCategories
PhilosophyPoliticsSociety & CultureNews

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Artwork for Free To Speak

Latest Episodes

Elliot Ikilei, former New Conservative leader, key figure in Hobson's Pledge, and now New Zealand First's 2026 candidate for Takanini, joins Dane Giraud for a conversation that moves from common ground to open clash. The two grew up streets apart in ... more

Erica Stanford says a VPN ban was never on the table. Barrister and Free Speech Union Council Member Douglas Brown isn't convinced. Douglas joins host Dane Giraud for a freewheeling episode on three stories that end in the same place: someone else de... more

New Zealand banned it. So did France, Australia and South Africa, and every American publisher who saw the manuscript in 1954 turned it down. Brian Boyd, Emeritus Distinguished Professor of English at the University of Auckland and the world's leadin... more

This winter, Ani O'Brien is taking the Good Faith Yarns Tour around the country: honest, good faith conversations with locals in towns and cities across New Zealand, on the topics we usually just shout about. 

She sits down with Dane Giraud to walk ... more

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Recent Guests

Ani O'Brien
Writer and commentator promoting free speech through the Good Faith Yarns Tour
New Zealand Free Speech Union
Episode: Ani O'Brien: Why NZ Needs Good Faith Yarns, Not Shouting Matches | Free to Speak
Laura McClure
Member of Parliament (ACT)
Parliament of New Zealand
Episode: Laura McClure: The Deepfake Bill, Free Speech, and Where the Law Draws the Line | Free to Speak
Ben Jones
Author of Island of Strangers; UK Free Speech Union
UK Free Speech Union
Episode: Arrested for a Facebook Post: Ben Jones on Britain's Free Speech Collapse
Corina Shields
Radio producer for Radio Aotearoa; social media personality known as Aunty Heihei
Radio Aotearoa
Episode: Corina Shields: "Te Pāti Māori Doesn't Speak For All Of Us" | Free to Speak
Bob McCoskrie
Representative from Family First, discussed as a guest on the episode
Family First
Episode: Is Prayer Now Criminal? Bob McCoskrie on NZ's Conversion Therapy Law
Michael Johnston
Senior fellow at The New Zealand Initiative, education policy lead
The New Zealand Initiative
Episode: Young Men Right, Young Women Left - And Why That Spells Disaster | Michael Johnston
Pulotu Tupe Solomon-Tanoa'I
Former BSA board member
BSA (Broadcasting Standards Authority)
Episode: Former BSA Board Member on Why Abolishing It Was the Wrong Call - Pulotu Tupe Solomon-Tanoa'I
Peter Boghossian
American philosopher, author, educator
Not specified in transcript
Episode: Peter Boghossian: The Crisis of Honesty | Free Speech, Hard Conversations & What's Gone Wrong
David Inserra
Fellow for Free Expression and Technology at the Cato Institute
Cato Institute
Episode: Banning Teens From Social Media Pushes Them Into Darker Corners Online - David Inserra

Hosts

Dane Giraud
Host of Free To Speak with NZ Free Speech Union affiliation
Dane Giroux
Host of the podcast and council member of the Free Speech Union
Dane Gereau
Host of the podcast, Free Speech Union council member

Reviews

4.6 out of 5 stars from 57 ratings
  • If I could make one suggestion before you listen. Take 5 minutes to google the Free Speech Union, or Free Speech Alliance, The NZ Initiative, UK or Australia - add Tax Payers' Union to your search and then see if you're still interested in listening to anything these people have to say. If anything, it helps you put things into perspective.

    Podcast Addict
    1
    SpecialK
    2 years ago
  • A bunch of right wing twats.

    Podcast Addict
    1
    James
    3 years ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

Good for listeners who want detailed arguments and case studies on free expression
A thoughtful, policy-focused show about free speech and regulation

Chart Rankings

How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.

Apple Podcasts
#124
New Zealand/News/Politics

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Corina Shields: "Te Pāti Māori Doesn't Speak For All Of Us" | Free to Speak
Q: What motivates her to push for hard conversations and inclusive dialogue?
She emphasizes the importance of bringing left, unions, and other voices to the table to ensure conversations happen beyond mainstream media, and to challenge the idea that Te Pāti Māori speaks for all Māori.
Corina Shields: "Te Pāti Māori Doesn't Speak For All Of Us" | Free to Speak
Q: Who is Corina Shields and what is her background in media?
She describes herself as a Māori radio producer and writer, known online as Aunty Heihei, who has moved from social media to producing for Radio Aotearoa with a mission to bring diverse voices into conversations.
How A 1989 Broadcasting Law Became An Internet Speech Rule - with Steven Franks
Q: Why now, and has anything shifted in your view to justify action against online platforms?
He argues the Wellington professional class consensus is pushing for extending traditional broadcast rules to the internet, which could dampen free speech and escalate regulatory costs.
How A 1989 Broadcasting Law Became An Internet Speech Rule - with Steven Franks
Q: So, Steven, take it away. What are the implications here?
Franks explains the mismatch between a 1989 Broadcasting Act and today's internet, highlighting regulatory overreach and the challenge of applying broadcast standards to on-demand, online content.
The Day Police Failed To Let Women Speak: Posie Parker On Albert Park 3 Years Later
Q: This was your first event in New Zealand, wasn't it?
Yes, and there was a lot of planning with local allies, but everything escalated quickly due to police and security gaps, leading to an unprecedented level of disruption.

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

Listeners per Episode
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Frequently Asked Questions About Free To Speak

What is Free To Speak about and what kind of topics does it cover?

This show consistently explores freedom of expression through a policy and legal lens, frequently featuring guests who are policymakers, lawyers, academics, journalists, and activists focused on free speech, online harms, and media regulation. Episodes cover recent regulatory debates (such as online safety, anti-hate measures, and misconceptions around moderation), high-profile policy proposals in New Zealand and internationally, the ethics of journalism and media neutrality, and practical implications for individuals and minority communities. A notable pattern is rigorous, often controversial, dialogue that weighs civil liberties against safeguarding against harm, with practical takes on how laws and institutions should handle digital disc... more

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Which podcasts are similar to Free To Speak?

These podcasts share a similar audience with Free To Speak:

1. The spiked podcast
2. The Brendan O'Neill Show
3. Last Orders - a spiked podcast
4. The Current Thing
5. heretics. | andrew gold

How many episodes of Free To Speak are there?

Free To Speak launched 7 years ago and published 200 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

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What guests have appeared on Free To Speak?

Recent guests on Free To Speak include:

1. Ani O'Brien
2. Laura McClure
3. Ben Jones
4. Corina Shields
5. Bob McCoskrie
6. Michael Johnston
7. Pulotu Tupe Solomon-Tanoa'I
8. Peter Boghossian

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