Free Speech Poster Boy Now Reportedly Suing Female MP For Defamation

    But Terri Butler has yet to get a call, text, email, or fax from the accuser.

    Mark Di Stefano
    by Mark Di Stefano

    BuzzFeed News Political Editor, Australia

    Meet Calum Thwaites.

    Dan Peled / AAPIMAGE

    Thwaites is one of three Queensland University of Technology students who've been part of a dispute over racist Facebook posts that kicked off a nationwide debate around freedom of speech.

    In 2014 an Aboriginal worker at the university lodged a complaint under section 18C of the Racial Discrimination Act, claiming she "feared physical assault" after she questioned why the students were using an Indigenous-only computer lab.

    “I wonder where the white sup­remacist computer lab is," wrote one of the students on Facebook, while another account that claimed to be Thwaites used the n-word.

    After many, many months, the case was thrown out by a Federal Court judge who said the post was a “poor ­attempt at humour” and accepted Thwaites's claim that a fake Facebook account had posted the status that contained the n-word.

    The story has been used by Australia's conservative and libertarian MPs, think tanks, and columnists to campaign to change the Racial Discrimination Act, claiming that 18C is a breach of freedom of speech.

    The Australian's 18C coverage even prompted Crikey to count the number of words the newspaper had written on the topic in the last three months...all 135,000 of them.

    Which brings us to Monday's episode of Q&A and Labor MP Terri Butler, who recounted the case during another national conversation about freedom of speech.

    ABC QA

    Butler, who is a former lawyer, said one of the students – Thwaites – was alleged to have used the n-word, which was seized upon by The Australian's Greg Sheridan.

    "He said that that was not him," said Sheridan.

    "Well, he would say that," replied Butler.

    It prompted Sheridan to say "that is a racist smear in itself".

    On Thursday The Australian reported that Thwaites had filed a defamation lawsuit against Butler in a Brisbane court, seeking up to $150,000 in damages.

    Mick Tsikas / AAPIMAGE

    Conservative columnists, who've all spent time railing against 18C's infringement on free speech, posted about Butler's comments and the defamation lawsuit.

    Chris Kenny @chriskkenny

    Get your facts right, Butler https://t.co/YV0I0WO3yM

    Reply Retweet Favorite
    Rita Panahi @RitaPanahi

    Regressive Left champion laws to silence ideological opponents but happy to defame individuals causing real damage. https://t.co/9MsckHCSbv

    Reply Retweet Favorite
    Miranda Devine @mirandadevine

    Smug Labor MP Terri Butler, who smeared QUT student as a racist and perjurer on Q&A, just copped a defamation suit https://t.co/BYAnmcTZrz

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    Mark Textor @AGFchairman

    Good thing too. vile defamation of a young man that's already been cleared. https://t.co/zxGYxXX97a

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    BuzzFeed News understands Butler has yet to receive a phone call, email, letter, or fax from Thwaites. His lawyer has been contacted for comment.