Summarised by Centrist
Jonathan Ayling, Chief Executive of the Free Speech Union, has called on the Police to halt the newly introduced ‘hate crime’ and ‘hate speech’ training for officers, citing concerns over political bias and the undermining of free speech.
Ayling argues that speech inciting violence is already illegal, but the training includes examples such as claims that “there are only two genders” or a billboard stating “Kiwi, not Iwi,” which he insists are legitimate opinions that should be protected.
Ayling said that Police should protect the right to free speech rather than determine its potential to be ‘hateful.’ He warns that this new training could lead to more overzealous policing and wrongful arrests.
Ayling also notes that ‘hate crimes’ are not defined in New Zealand law and while ‘hate speech’ laws exist under the Human Rights Act, the threshold for arrest or prosecution is very high.
Conversely he asserts, free speech is a vital tool against extremism:
“Prohibiting individuals from expressing ‘hateful’ opinions does nothing to address the potential harm of their views. It is better to know who holds extremist views and challenge them with counter-speech.”
“We consider this training potentially illegal. Our team is meeting with the Police Commissioner to address this training. If it is not significantly changed or stopped, we will take further action,” Ayling said in a statement.
