Hon Brooke van Velden
Minister of Internal Affairs

Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden has spoken to Rachel Esson, the National Librarian responsible for the National Library of New Zealand, about the importance of the Government institution remaining impartial and not attempting to censor academics hosted to talk at the National Library.

“It is essential that Government agencies act impartially and do not attempt to censor the speech of academics. I have been assured by Ms Esson that the National Library share this view and look to host a range of speakers with diverse perspectives”, says Ms van Velden.

The discussion came after reports that staff at the National Library requested that a historian, who was booked to give a public lecture at the National Library on early British presence in New Zealand, remove quotes from his summary of the speech to avoid giving the impression of having a positive view on colonialism.

“This was of concern to me so I contacted the National Library to understand what had occurred. I have since been assured by Ms Esson that while the communication between the National Library and the historian was not up to standard, the National Library takes freedom of expression very seriously and will work with its staff on how to better engage with speakers in the future.”

“I am confident in the impartiality of the National Library and understand that the historian is still welcome to deliver his lecture as part of the speaking series. The public deserve to hear from a range of perspectives, including on controversial topics, without censorship.”

The National Library often make minor edits to the summary of public lectures for length and clarity. However, changing an author’s summary out of political sensitivity is not acceptable and the National Library has acknowledged this.

© Scoop Media