Ep. 73: John Ruddick MLC - Defending Liberty, Property Rights, and Free Speech in Australia

My guest today is John Ruddick, a member of the Legislative Council of New South Wales (Australia) and the first representative of the Libertarian Party elected to Parliament. John is a fierce advocate for civil liberties, a staunch defender of free speech, and an unapologetic voice against government overreach. His journey from mortgage broker to politician is marked by his unwavering commitment to individual rights, decentralization, and liberty-first governance.From challenging Australia’s authoritarian COVID response to pushing for bold pro-Bitcoin legislation, John brings a radical yet refreshing perspective to modern politics. We dive into his banned maiden speech, his views on free speech and state power, and the philosophical roots of libertarianism. He breaks down why he believes government should shrink dramatically, how welfare could be radically reimagined through competition and compassion, and why Murray Rothbard’s anarcho-capitalism is the north star.► If you got value, please like, comment, share, follow and support my work. Thank you!-- SPONSORS --►► Get your TREZOR wallet & accessories, with a 5% discount, using my code at checkout (get my discount code from the episode - yep, you’ll have to watch it): https://affil.trezor.io/SHUn ►► Join me on June 19-21 at BTC Prague! Code EFRAT = 10% discount: https://pages.btcprague.com/ambassador-efrat-fenigson -- SPECIAL OFFERS –►► Watch “New Totalitarian Order” conference with Prof. Mattias Desmet & Efrat: https://efenigson.gumroad.com/l/desmet_efrat ►► Enjoy the Little HODLer products, learn about sound money while having fun! use code EFRAT for 10% off on non-sale items: https://thelittlehodler.com/ ►► 10% off on all books & accessories at the “Bitcoin Infinity Store” - use code EFRAT.►► Join me in any of these upcoming events: https://www.efrat.blog/p/upcoming-events -- LINKS –John’s Twitter: https://x.com/JohnRuddick2 John’s inaugural speech: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hw1zPTDEVxA Efrat's Twitter: https://twitter.com/efenigsonEfrat's Telegram: https://t.me/efenigsonWatch/listen on all platforms: https://linktr.ee/yourethevoiceSupport Efrat's work: ⁠https://www.buymeacoffee.com/efenigson   ⁠Support Efrat with Bitcoin: https://geyser.fund/project/efenigson-- CHAPTERS –00:00 Coming Up…01:30 Introduction to John02:24 Covid-19 and the Response in Australia07:09 John's Maiden Speech in Parliament - Why Was It Censored?12:15 Free Speech, Government Overreach & Libertarianism25:45 C19 Plandemic Aftermath & Jab Damages in Australia36:45 Foundations & History of Libertarianism, inc. Ayn Rand, Murray Rothbard, Milton Fridman47:40 The Role of Government: A Debate on Anarcho-Capitalism53:50 Private Free Cities: A New Approach to Governance55:15 Libertarianism & Bitcoin: A Natural Alliance57:40 Libertarianism & Bitcoin in Australia - Separation of Money & State1:05:45 Macro View on the Australian Economy1:14:20 Australia's Political History: Lessons for the Future (from 1788 to 1898 to today)1:21:40 A Message of Hope from John