Professional regulation is about confidence for consumers, not ideological imposition

22 January 2025
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Professional regulation is about confidence for consumers, not ideological imposition

Today, the Free Speech Union has drafted and released the Real Estate Agents (Political Neutrality) Amendment Bill 2024, and calls on the Government to adopt this legislation to protect professionals’ speech rights within the Real Estate profession. The Real Estate Authority (REA) has abused their authority and used it to impose ideological conformity. They must be brought into line, says Jonathan Ayling, Chief Executive of the Free Speech Union.

“This afternoon, the Free Speech Union contacted almost every real estate agent in the country, urging them to sign a public letter calling on the Minister for Courts, Hon Nicole McKee, to implement The Real Estate Agents (Political Neutrality) Amendment Bill 2024.

“Increasingly, professional regulators demand professionals complete training that has little to do with the function of their professions, and more to do with the particular views that are held and espoused by the individual idealogues in charge. This is inconsistent with the purpose of good professional regulation which is to ensure the confidence and safety of practitioners and consumers - not to act as moralising imposers.

“The Free Speech Union has drafted The Real Estate Agents (Political Neutrality) Amendment Bill 2024 in response to the ideological overreach the Real Estate Authority has demonstrated amongst its members.

“An example of this is the story of Janet Dickson, a case currently before the High Court. Dickson lost her registration as a real estate agent for refusing to take training on spiritual views different from her own.

“Regardless of the outcome in this case, Dickson's story represents a much broader issue, and it’s time something is done about it. The Free Speech Union calls on the Government to pass legislation across key sectors where professionals are silenced and face retribution if they don’t toe the line."

See legislation here.