The National Association for the Visual Arts has asked the Rudd Government to remove the word 'sedition' from our Anti-Terrorism legislation, pointing to a recent arrest threat for the Prime Minister's controversial artist nephew.

Executive Director of NAVA Tamara Winikoff said today, "the visual arts community calls on the Labor government to get rid of repressive sedition legislation as a matter of urgency. Further, they should adopt all the changes recommended by Australian Law Reform Commission (ALRC).

"Australian artists need to be assured that they can make social comment without censorship or harassment."

NAVA points to an incident on the day of the federal election, in which artist Van Thanh Rudd, nephew of our new Prime Minister, was threatened with arrest while conducting a public art project.

Rudd and his small film crew were on a train at Fremantle railway station when Transit Officers told they were not allowed on the train they must leave, without telling them what law was being violated. Rudd was carrying his painting entitled Exploding Figure as part of an outdoor, roving exhibition. The crew were documenting the project.

"There needs to be a national education program to avoid ad hoc decision making by people in authority because when faced with public criticism or concern, they often take a path of expediency rather than making a judgement based on sound knowledge of the law", Winikoff said.

Dr Michael Head, Associate Professor of Law School at the University of Western Sydney said the experience of Rudd demonstrated "a direct attack on artistic freedom and sets another dangerous precedent for the misuse of so-called 'terrorism' laws."