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Maria O'Sullivan

Maria O'Sullivan

The Conversation

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Protest is a right, not a licence

Across Australia, protest is increasingly conditional on permits, fees, insurance and official approval. Systems designed to facilitate peaceful...

15.10.2026 50

Pearls and Irritations

Maria O'Sullivan

By making protests conditional on state approval, governments are eroding our democracy

A new report maps how protest permit systems work in every state and territory. The result is a tangle of laws, council by-laws and complicated rules.

14.10.2026 30

The Conversation

Maria O'Sullivan

With more restrictive laws across the country, how can we protect the right to protest?

Recent state laws passed in the name of public safety are expanding police powers and narrowing the right to protest, with uneven safeguards for human...

20.02.2026 80

Pearls and Irritations

Maria O'Sullivan

With more restrictive laws across the country, how can we protect the right to protest?

Multiple states have moved to tighten protest rules and increase police powers. But these laws aren’t adequately balancing public safety with human...

19.02.2026 40

The Conversation

Maria O'Sullivan

Is the government making it harder to hold them accountable?

06.09.2025 30

The Examiner

Maria O'Sullivan

Is the government making it harder to hold them accountable?

06.09.2025 20

Canberra Times

Maria O'Sullivan