Silencing Dissent
Encyclopedia
Silencing Dissent: How the Australian Government is Controlling Public Opinion and Stifling Debate is a 2007 Australia
n book, edited by Clive Hamilton
and Sarah Maddison
.
The book's premise is that "the apparently unconnected phenomena of attacks on non-government organisations, the politicisation of the public service, the stacking of statutory authorities, increasing restrictions on academic freedom and control over universities, the gagging or manipulation of some sections of the media, and the politicisation of the military and intelligence services form a pattern that poses a grave threat to the state of democracy in Australia."
The book argues that during its decade in power, the Howard Government
in Australia "systematically dismantled democratic processes, stymied open and diverse debate and avoided making itself accountable to parliament or the community." According to one reviewer this "reflects not merely a government enforcing its particular version of democracy but amounts to a serious deterioration of Australia's democratic health."
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n book, edited by Clive Hamilton
Clive Hamilton
Clive Charles Hamilton AM FRSA is an Australian public intellectual and Professor of Public Ethics at the Centre for Applied Philosophy and Public Ethics and the Vice-Chancellor's Chair in Public Ethics at Charles Sturt University. He is the Founder and former Executive Director of the The...
and Sarah Maddison
Sarah Maddison
Sarah Maddison is an Australian author and Australian Research Council Future Fellow in the Faculty of Arts and Social Science at University of New South Wales....
.
The book's premise is that "the apparently unconnected phenomena of attacks on non-government organisations, the politicisation of the public service, the stacking of statutory authorities, increasing restrictions on academic freedom and control over universities, the gagging or manipulation of some sections of the media, and the politicisation of the military and intelligence services form a pattern that poses a grave threat to the state of democracy in Australia."
The book argues that during its decade in power, the Howard Government
Howard Government
The Howard Government refers to the federal Executive Government of Australia led by Prime Minister John Howard. It was made up of members of the Liberal–National Coalition, which won a majority of seats in the Australian House of Representatives at four successive elections. The Howard Government...
in Australia "systematically dismantled democratic processes, stymied open and diverse debate and avoided making itself accountable to parliament or the community." According to one reviewer this "reflects not merely a government enforcing its particular version of democracy but amounts to a serious deterioration of Australia's democratic health."