Judith Collins: Christchurch Mosque Attack Inquiry Lead Coordination Minister says hate speech law recommendation would breach right to free speech

Judith Collins says amending hate speech laws in light of the Christchurch mosque attacks would breach the right to free speech. 

The Government's officially ended the coordinated response to the 2019 tragedy that killed 51 people. 

36 recommendations from a report into the attack have been adopted - but eight won't be, including hate speech amendments. 

The Lead Coordination Minister told Andrew Dickens inciting violence is already restricted. 

She says someone who states they don't like someone else for being different is a fool - but that doesn't mean they should be arrested. 

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:02):
Welcome to the program. The second of August, it's seven
after five eight of the Royal Commission recommendations from the
inquiry into the crist of Jamask attacks are being dropped.
The government is adopting thirty six of the forty four recommendations,
but it will not be amending hate speech laws or
establishing new security and intelligence agencies. It's been announced today

(00:22):
that after more than five years, the Coordinated Response is
now ending, and Judith Collins is the League Coordination Minister
and joins me. Now, good evening, Judith, Hi Andrew. It's
the end of a very long and sad process, isn't it.

Speaker 2 (00:36):
It certainly is, and sticularly for the families and every
one who suffered through it, but also for the first responders.
It's been a really hard process over a long time.

Speaker 1 (00:48):
And are we a better country for it?

Speaker 2 (00:52):
I think we are. Actually, I think we're more alive
to the possibilities of terrorism. I think we're also significantly
a country that looks at other keywis and say, well,
we need to treat everyone with decency.

Speaker 1 (01:09):
There are eight recommendations so that we're not doing. No
amendments to legislation on hate speech will be made and
that is under the coalition agreement between National Party and
New Zealand. First, so is hate speech off the table
because it's just too hard.

Speaker 2 (01:26):
No, it's not just because it's just too hard. What
is it is an unnecessary breach of people's rights to
free speech. We know that we can see it in
other countries, and I don't need to go through all
the examples where it can be used to shut down
genuine debate. But also I think what we need to
always remember is that we already have certain restrictions such

(01:49):
as incitement to violence and restrictions like that. So obviously
we believe it's very important to have a free speech
ever possible, and the only real restrictions should be around
inciting violence and breach the Human Rights Act.

Speaker 1 (02:07):
Okay, good, As some people say, the term hate speech
is debatable, you know, and when we hear people say
we need to kill all these people, well, you know
that's hate speech. But we needed to find that and
use free speech to then crack down it, don't we.

Speaker 2 (02:23):
Well, so I think if somebody says that there is
you know, you need to go around killing people, that's
incite the devance that's already becomes under the New Zealand law.
But if you say I don't like these people because
they're different, well that might simply show that the person
making that statement is a fall That doesn't necessarily mean
that they should be arrested and go through the courts.

Speaker 1 (02:45):
Okay, well, Chris Hipkins says, calling it quits before implementing
all the recommendations, while at the same time hinting at
liberalization of the law around semi automatics is out of touch.
What would you say to him?

Speaker 2 (02:57):
Look, I'm pretty disappointed and Chris Hipkins, he is the
Prime Minister for about nine months last year. He could
have brought these recommendations through instead, the ones that we
have dealt with are the ones that the previous government
of which he was the Prime minister and before that
senior minister also did not make decisions on. But we've

(03:19):
made decisions to say, actually, after five years, five and
the quarter years, the people involved, the families involved, they
have a right to know what the answer is. And
these are recommendations. The Royal Commission has done an excellent job,
but they are not the government. It's the government's job
to make these decisions. Chris Atkins dident. I'd say, don't
politicize things, Chris, don't do that. We didn't and I

(03:43):
expect you not to do it either.

Speaker 1 (03:44):
Judith Collins, I thank you for your time today. Judith
is the League Coordination Minister on the recommendations made by
the Royal Commission of Inquiry. For more from Hither Duplessy
Allen Drive, listen live to news talks they'd be from
four pm weekdays, or follow the podcast on I Hard Radio.