Australian senator Ralph Babet demands the duo, Hollywood star Jack Black and musician Kyle Gass, be deported over the latter’s comment

The latest show on Tenacious D’s Australian tour has been postponed after senator Ralph Babet demanded the pair be deported following an apparent joke about the assassination attempt on Donald Trump.

American comedy rock duo Jack Black and Kyle Gass were due to perform in Newcastle on Tuesday evening, but the show – part of the band’s Spicy Meatball Tour – was cancelled without notice on Tuesday afternoon.

Concert promoter Frontier Touring said on social media that it regretted “to advise that Tenacious D’s concert tonight at Newcastle Entertainment Centre has been postponed”.

Video from the event showed (Kyle) Gass being presented with a birthday cake and told to “make a wish” as he blew out the candles. Gass then appeared to say “don’t miss Trump next time” – just hours after the shooting at Trump’s rally in Pennsylvania that left the former president injured.

  • DigitalDilemmaEnglish
    -2•4 months ago

    I am not very well versed in Australian law, but this indicates to me that free speech is indeed protected in Australia.

    It aims to, but it is not a right.

    See the two exclusions on the page you linked.

    blocked when…

    ( a ) For respect of the rights or reputations of others; ( b ) For the protection of national security or of public order, or of public health or morals.

    In this case, public order may be considered valid, although my personal view is that it wasn’t.

    In Australia, humour has a long history of bad taste, but a longer history of religious repression through law. Think 1960s America - that describes much of Australian rural culture, with extra bad language. (Although NSW was a lot more tolerant when I travelled around the country)

    In the UK, free speech is not possible either. See D-notices, and later super-injunctions to stop media and individuals reporting on facts.