If New Zealand is to have an informed discussion about Labour’s ‘Hate Speech’ laws the Prime Minister needs to ensure she is giving accurate information to the media; this morning on The AM Show she did not, Leader of the Opposition Judith Collins says.

“Incitement to violence is quite rightly already illegal in New Zealand. The Prime Minister’s claim that these draconian proposed laws will fill a void in this area is completely false.

“I simply will not stand by while Jacinda Ardern puts her ‘Hate Speech’ laws through the spin cycle. She knows very well that incitement to violence is already covered in law and to use it to create a feeling of necessity around the speech restrictions she is advocating for is pretty cynical.

“New Zealanders are entitled to a truthful accounting of the facts and that includes honesty around why Labour have chosen to enact speech restrictions when they wouldn’t have stopped the Christchurch terrorist, while ignoring other suggestions in the Royal Commission Report.

“I am calling on the Prime Minister to correct the record and clarify her comments on The AM Show this morning.

“National is the party who will stand up for New Zealanders’ freedoms and encourage a cohesive society that is capable of engaging in debate and discussion without involving the Government.”