Monday, 21 March 2005

Dunne challenges Govt: Publicly disown ‘hate speech law’ right now

United Future leader Peter Dunne today challenged the Government to public distance itself from any possible hate speech law, saying that United Future would have no part in it.

“It’s no cliché to say that New Zealanders of generations past fought and died for us to have free speech - it’s a fact and the Government needs to come out point blank and state that it will have no part in curtailing that right,” Mr Dunne said.

He said he was encouraged to see that Justice Minister Phil Goff has questioned the worth of any hate speech law, but said that Labour needed to go much further given that one of its members, Diane Yates, is leading the charge for hate speech law.

“Enough of the double talk. New Zealanders want it straight and they want to be able to express themselves freely and without fear,” Mr Dunne said.

“Labour needs to drop its ‘we know best’ rubbish and realise that this is still a free country and New Zealanders want to keep it that way.”

Mr Dunne said United Future would continue to mount strong campaigns against “pink-think political correctness in all its insidious forms”.

“And it doesn’t get more basic than free speech,” he said.

ENDS

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