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Judith Collins says the government must be “very careful” about implementing new laws on hate speech in the wake of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into the 2019 Christchurch terror attack.
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“You cannot legislate the thoughts of the people,” said the national leader while discussing the Royal Commission of Inquiry on the terrorist attack of 2019. Source: 1 NEWS
The National leader was asked about her thoughts on the proposed new hate speech laws in Parliament this afternoon.
“It’s quite a controversial topic and we would have to look at it very carefully,” Collins said.
He noted that a section of the Crimes Law already has the crime of inciting violence or hatred against various groups in the community.
He added that New Zealand would not want to adopt a UK-style lawSince criminalizing speech will not necessarily stop violent action.
“You cannot legislate people’s thoughts, that is very clear, and we would not want to generate clandestine thoughts or statements that could later lead to actual violence,” he said.
His comments come when the Government intends to strengthen the laws around hate-motivated activities and incitement to hatred against an individual or group.
“Speech that is abusive or threatening and incites hostility towards a group or person can cause significant harm,” said Justice Minister Kris Faafoi.
There will also be changes to the Human Rights Law, which will see protections for trans, diverse and intersex people.
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Rashid Omar of Al Noor Mosque says victims hope to work with the government to build a more inclusive and supportive system in New Zealand. Source: 1 NEWS
In a statement released this afternoon, Collins said the man who carried out the terrorist attack in March 2019 “failed.”
“The atrocities committed on March 15, 2019 were the actions of an evil terrorist designed to spread fear and silence those who did not share his vision of the world. But New Zealanders’ actions since then in denouncing him and what he defended is proof that he failed.
“The opposition stands ready to work constructively with the Government to ensure that we learn from this event and make New Zealand a safer place for the five million of us.”
