"Polling commissioned by the Free Speech Union shows that kiwis aren’t interested in the Government’s proposed changes to hate speech laws, saying ‘no’ to policed speech", says Dr. David Cumin, a Spokesperson for the Free Speech Union.

“43% of New Zealander’s oppose the proposed changes outright, with only 31% showing any support for them. Overall, there is -12% support for these changes, with more than double the opposition (-27%) among men."

“While almost a majority of kiwis are saying no to these changes, 37% are still undecided. As the Prime Minister and Minister of Justice continue to highlight the ambiguity of these changes and their dangerous implications, we are confident even more kiwis will also oppose the proposals."

“The region to show the strongest support is Christchurch, which makes sense given their horrific experience of March 15. Yet, despite the Government’s insinuations, the Royal Commission made clear that hate speech laws would have done nothing to stop the shooter. Instead, these proposed laws are more likely to penalise everyday New Zealanders."

“The Government has shown it doesn’t understand the implications of these changes, and the public has shown that it doesn’t want this law to go through. The Minister of Justice should shelve these reforms until they are more detailed and clear."

The polling was conducted by Curia Market Research from Monday 5 July to 8 July, and collected the responses of 1,000 eligible New Zealand voters. The margin for error was +/- 3.1% at the 95% confidence level. Full polling report available here.

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