Freedom of speech wins in South Australia

The internet screams, and the South Australian government listens:

ATTORNEY-GENERAL Michael Atkinson has made a "humiliating" backdown and announced he will retrospectively repeal his law censoring internet comment on the state election.

After a furious reaction on AdelaideNow to The Advertiser's exclusive report on the new laws, Mr Atkinson at 10pm released this statement: "From the feedback we've received through AdelaideNow, the blogging generation believes that the law supported by all MPs and all political parties is unduly restrictive. I have listened.

"I will immediately after the election move to repeal the law retrospectively."

In the meantime, the law will not be enforced. So freedom of speech survives. Meanwhile, I'm still staggered that the politicians thought they could get away with this. Are they really that divorced from reality? If so, then mass de-election seems to be in order.