The National Party has always been, and always will be, a staunch protector of New Zealanders’ right to free speech.
It’s an important part of our democratic rights and it means having to tolerate the expression of diverse views.
We may not always agree with one another, but we should have the ability to say our opinions without fear of being prosecuted.
But that could be about to change.
Labour is proposing to regulate our free speech laws in response to the atrocious acts of March 15, but there’s no evidence to support the idea that these hate speech laws would have prevented this massacre.
So far, however, the Government has been misleading the public and shutting down the debate.
Speech that incites violence is already, quite rightly, illegal in New Zealand.
The Prime Minister has claimed that her Government’s draconian law changes will fill a void in this area. This is completely false.
The Prime Minister has suggested that the laws will be focused on extreme speech where a person is inciting violence and hatred. But this is once again incorrect.
The bar for persecuting hate speech will be lowered so someone who intentionally stirs up or normalises hatred by being insulting would break the law.
Increased penalties for hate speech have also been proposed, with the maximum fine to go from $7000 to $50,000, and the maximum length of imprisonment from three months to three years.
Three years in prison for hate speech will be longer than the punishment for assaulting a child.
That’s right. The Government is telling us that insulting someone deserves a greater punishment than if someone physically assaulted a child.
These hate speech laws will turn New Zealand into a country where Kiwis won’t voice their opinions for fear of prosecution. That is not the type of country I want to live in.
This Government, unable to deliver on much else, appears to want to regulate New Zealanders in every facet of our lives.
National is the party who will stand up for New Zealanders’ freedoms and encourage a cohesive society that is capable of engaging in debate and discussion without involving the Government.
We will reverse any hate speech laws that will impinge on the freedom of speech Kiwis currently enjoy. It’s too important.
- Simeon Brown
MP for Pakuranga
