Labour promise tougher hate speech laws if re-elected
TVNZ One News 24 September 2020
Family First Comment: Be afraid. Be very afraid. Especially when Andrew Little is involved.
“When asked today why NZ First stopped legislation progressing on hate speech, leader Winston Peters said, “it hadn’t been drafted”. “The concept was worthy of consideration until you get down to the detail of the drafting and you clashed in with the freedom speech and you’ve got to have balance. At no point did (Andrew Little) produce any statute model that would give both objectives a chance to succeed. You need to see the detail, words matter. If it’s out to stop people’s freedom, if it’s out to stop people having a different point of view, then they should be stopped from doing that.”
Labour want to get through hate speech legislation if re-elected, after coming up to roadblocks within Government.
Labour leader Jacinda Ardern was asked about Labour’s intentions after Al Noor Mosque imam Gamal Fouda today said an aspect to achieving justice after the March 15 Christchurch terrorist attack was for New Zealand to “lead the world in enacting clear legislation that draws a clear line between the freedom of speech and hate speech”.
He said the attack, that killed 51 people, was a clear example of where hate speech formed into hate crime.
A review on hate speech was sparked after the attack, but the Government could not find consensus on making changes.
Today, Ardern said if re-elected, Labour would plan to include religion under legislation that deals with hate speech and discrimination.
“We haven’t been able to progress change in this area but that’s something we’re committing to as the Labour Party,” she said.
“In a modern New Zealand, everyone would agree no one should be discriminated for their religion.
“It makes sense that we add this to the suite of other things we say it is just not OK to discriminate people over.”
READ MORE: https://www.tvnz.co.nz/one-news/new-zealand/labour-promise-tougher-hate-speech-laws-if-re-elected
