Barry Soper: Newstalk ZB Senior Political Correspondent on the Government concluding its response to the Christchurch Mosque Attack Inquiry

The Government has officially concluded its coordinated cross-government response to the Royal Commission of the Inquiry into the Christchurch Mosque Attacks. 

Lead Minister Judith Collins says they will adopt 36 of 44 recommendations from the report – but says hate speech laws or establishing a new security and intelligence agency isn’t among the recommendations they’ll adopt. 

Newstalk ZB senior political commentator Barry Soper joined Andrew Dickens. 

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Barry serving Joys is good afternoon, Andrew.

Speaker 2 (00:02):
So we've got Judith Colin saying we're not working on
a hate speech legislation anymore as they drop the recommendations
from the Royal and Commission of Inquiry into the Mosscitech. Okay,
so today the hate speech legislation gone. They're not working
on anymore. It's part of their coalition agreement. However, you're
going to talk about hate speech, Well, the thing.

Speaker 1 (00:20):
Is that basically speech that incites violence is already illegal. Yeah,
so you know, I mean the Free Speech Union. I've
been sounding off about it today because apparently cops are
now being taught to just keep their eye on what's
going on out there. And they cite examples that have

(00:42):
been given to them that Keiwis should be free to
express themselves, and police are being trained to protect key
wei's right to express their opinions, not trained to speculate
whether they're hateful or not. And they cite a couple
of examples that the officers are being told hate speech

(01:03):
can include claims that there are only two genders and
that's a debatable thing. That and or that billboard, that
very famous billboard that came out I think was under
Don Brash. Actually key We, not e We, and I
thought it was quite a clever billboard. Actually, but that's
not hate speech. I mean, that's you know, that's for

(01:25):
your comment, I suppose. But the hate Speech Union were
written to by a senior police officer. He said he
was really concerned about it because he said, essentially a
hate hub has been set up in the police and
the being taught now in session, and he said he

(01:46):
didn't sign up to be and they've quoted him directly.
He didn't sign up to be part of the thought police,
he said. In fact, he became a police officer to
protect people's inherent rights. And that's to speak the way
I want to as we do. Dear, I say that
on news talk Z.

Speaker 2 (02:03):
I wouldn't swear to the police officer though, particularly when
they're trying to detain you, because that's not free speech.

Speaker 1 (02:10):
It's But the actor has climbed into this as well.
It says that all of it highlights the fundamental problem
with hate speech laws, and that is they're completely subjective.
And I think that's absolutely.

Speaker 2 (02:22):
It depends on the tenor, it depends on the tone,
it depends on the intention and it's so hard to do.
By the way, I was talking about why can't nationals
keep working on hate speech edustation? Can you write hate
speech and edgustation while I'm retaining free speech? And I
got a text through which said, you're a dick. You
can't have free speech and a hate speech law. So
I guess that is what we would call free speech

(02:43):
with a little touch of eight.

Speaker 1 (02:44):
That is the problem. And I've just had a statement
from the police in the last few minutes. They acknowledge
that they are instructing their police officers or taking them
to what they call a hate crime learning hard and
they say it's to support frontline staff to confidently, recognize, record,

(03:06):
and respond to and resolve hate motivated crimes. But I
just wonder, you know the problem that like the Free
Speech Union would see, are they filing this off and say, look,
I don't like I don't like what that bloke was
saying the other day and attached the name to it,
and that's it.

Speaker 2 (03:23):
You've got somebody who is full of hate and he's
screaming at somebody who's about he's going to actually go
for it. You might want to say that sounds like
hate speech and I might actually, you know, put his
arms behind his back and stop him from heading the
other guy. So you need to know that. You know,
it's not like hate speech does not exist. But there
we go. No, absolutely, now here's a bit of free speech.
And pooy. They just turned around and walked out of

(03:44):
a meeting with Christopher lux of the Prime Minister.

Speaker 1 (03:46):
Yes they did, and the meeting was essentially in Auckland
and now pooe. They basically say that this government is
running rough shold over Moldy and it's a claim that's
been made and time again because they've cited things like
the Mauldi Ward legislation, which passed its final reading this week,

(04:07):
changes to the Iraunga Tamariki Act and moves to soften
the seaboard bed and force short judgment, and that Treaty
Principles bill being promoted by Act. The legislation hasn't seen
the light of day yet, so we have to see
what that's going to say. But it's interesting they turn
their backs in a meeting where they could have some

(04:30):
influence exactly. And that's the problem, isn't it When we
talk about speech. Isn't it better to be at the
table and arguing with the government than to boycott it.
So you don't know what's going on here. We have
shot themselves and the feet.

Speaker 2 (04:45):
If you have an enemy, you've got to speak with
them and actually proved to them that your argument is right,
because if you turn around and walk round, I mean,
that's a that's a They had many.

Speaker 1 (04:54):
Years of the government at this meeting. There was the
Justice Minister, Paul Goldsmith, they had Tama pol Tucker, the
Minister of Morrow Development, and several other ministers were there,
including the Police Minister Mark Mitchell. So to me, what
they're doing is losing their opportunity for free speech.

Speaker 2 (05:14):
And that's a good place to end it. If you
don't mind, can you come back after six o'clock. I
we'll do the whole week.

Speaker 1 (05:18):
I'll review the whole We will for more from hither
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