MEDIA RELEASE

15 September 2023 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 

Public letter demands Minister of Immigration grant Posie Parker undisrupted re-entry into NZ

Calls by censorial activists insisting Andrew Little block Posie Parker's re-entry into New Zealand are authoritarian. In response, the Free Speech Union has released a public letter demanding that free speech and non-discrimination rights be protected and that the Minister of Immigration allow her undisrupted entry back into New Zealand, says Jonathan Ayling, Chief Executive of the Free Speech Union.

"Stopping an individual from entering the country because some activists oppose her views is the definition of political discrimination. Shouting down an opinion and threatening those who hold it is the antithesis to the tolerant and diverse society we aspire to. We cannot let the howl of the mob dictate who gets to exercise their lawful speech rights in New Zealand.

“Did the activists not learn from the huge platform they created for Parker last time? Censorship does not work. A liberal democracy does not deny someone access to our country simply on the grounds of their opinions. 

“Counter-speech and protest are basic rights in free speech, and we call on all who oppose Parker’s views to express themselves openly and without fear. Stand up for what matters to you. But don’t stop someone from being able to share in the first place." 

Parker is due to arrive in New Zealand next week to attend a judicial hearing for the person who assaulted her at the Let Women Speak rally in Auckland in March. 

The Free Speech Union’s public letter can be found at fsu.nz/allow_posie_parker_entry_into_new_zealand.