Associate Minister of Immigration, Hon Chris Penk, has amended Immigration New Zealand’s decision to bar Candace Owens from the country, granting her a special direction under section 17 of the Immigration Act 2009. This is a huge win for the speech rights for all Kiwis, says Jonathan Ayling, Chief Executive of the Free Speech Union.

“We’re pleased to announce that the Associate Minister of Immigration committed to granting Candace Owens a work visa, allowing her entry into the country.

“We applaud Chris Penk for doing the right thing and defending the speech rights of Candace Owens and all Kiwis.

“When someone is cancelled, it doesn’t just deny the speaker’s speech rights; it denies the rights of those who want to listen too.

“It’s up to individuals to decide who they want to listen to, not the Government. The Associate Minister has made the correct decision.

“It was appalling to see Immigration New Zealand follow in the footsteps of Australia and deny Owens’ entry on spurious grounds. It’s a dangerous situation to be in when the State begins to cherry-pick which voices we hear from.

“Those calling for censorship should take note: denying Owens’ entry into the country has simply widened interest in her. Censorship is an immature response to ideas we don’t like.

“Those who disagree with Owens should channel that into counter speech and peaceful protest – cancellation won’t get us anywhere.”

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