The politicisation of Australian regulators continues to threaten the free speech and fundamental rights of medical practitioners across the country.

Two recent articles in The Spectator highlight the way the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA) and the Medical Board of Australia have used their considerable institutional power to silence those who disagree with government policy.

Not only is their overreach threatening the rights of doctors and nurses, but also the health of the patients whose interests they should be protecting.

As The Spectator reported before Christmas:

AHPRA and the Boards conduct has created a healthcare system where fear replaces evidence, where compliance trumps conscience, and where bureaucrats dictate clinical decisions, many that cause more harm than good. 

It is noted, too, that many of these bureaucrats do not have any medical qualifications or experience.

No one argues, of course, that there should be no regulation but, as The Spectator further argues, it’s a question of balance:

Whilst regulation is essential for maintaining professional standards and protecting patients, it must be balanced against the need for professional autonomy and innovation which is ethically delivered in the absence of fear.

At HRLA, the commitment to defending the freedom of all Australians, including healthcare professionals, is paramount.

HRLA client, Dr Jereth Kok, was victimised by the highly politicised Medical Board and has been unable to practice as a doctor for over five years simply because he stated his religious and political views.

Dr Kok’s barrister, Stephen Moloney, said the case is:

… probably one of the most important cases that has ever been put to the Tribunal in the last 30 years. It goes straight to the democratic right of any practitioner in the State of Victoria to speak about matters of conscience, religion and medical practice in the public square.

Hearings for his case wrapped up in October last year and a verdict is expected in the coming months. HRLA will continue to stand alongside Dr Kok, and all Australians, to defend their fundamental freedom to speak the truth without censorship by their employer, the government, or a bureaucratic regulator like AHPRA.