Court to Test New Zealand’s Ban on Candace Owens
The Free Speech Union is planning to challenge the ban, stating that immigration ministers wrongly interpreted the law.
Candace Owens, an American commentator, was denied a visa to enter New Zealand for a speaking engagement due to her previous ban from another country. The Free Speech Union has vowed to dispute this decision, arguing that Immigration New Zealand (INZ) misunderstood the law when rejecting Owens’ Entertainer’s Work Visa application.
She had requested this visa but was automatically turned down under a provision in the Immigration Act that prohibits granting a visa to someone who has been excluded from another country.
In October, Owens was denied entry to Australia. Immigration Minister Tony Burke justified the decision by stating that her comments could provoke widespread discord.
“Australia’s national interest is best served when Candace Owens is somewhere else,” Burke said at that time.
“From downplaying the impact of the Holocaust with comments about [Nazi doctor Josef] Mengele to claims that Muslims started slavery, Candace Owens has the ability to provoke discord in almost every direction.”
Free Speech Union Challenges INZ’s Interpretation of the Law
New Zealand’s Free Speech Union has reached out to Immigration Minister Chris Penk, urging him to use his Ministerial discretion to reverse the ruling and is gearing up for legal action to contest the decision. The union argues that the department was mistaken in claiming they had no discretion under the Act.
“We do not believe Immigration New Zealand correctly applied the interpretation of ‘exclusion’, which did not occur in this case,” stated Jonathan Ayling, the Union’s Chief Executive.
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“Owens’ exclusion seems to have arisen due to legal technicalities, not a direct decision by officials,” Ayling noted.
“However, the fact that some, such as Young Labour, have already called on Immigration New Zealand to block Owens’ entry shows that they needed to be more certain of the legal requirements to avoid appearing politically biased.”
He further stated that a mature country should be open to different viewpoints.
“A sophisticated country can handle opinions that some may find controversial, distasteful, or even dangerous,” Ayling mentioned.
“The most mature approach to these viewpoints is to challenge and refute them, not exclude them from the conversation. History is filled with instances where individuals sought to silence the most dangerous ideas, rather than challenge or refute them. This has often been a costly mistake.
“There is no evidence to suggest that Candace Owens poses a threat to New Zealanders other than making them consider perspectives that some may find controversial.”
Owens was scheduled to deliver a speech in Auckland next month and was planning to travel to Australia as well until she was denied entry.
Tickets for the event ranged from $95 for general admission to $1,500 for a VIP package including a pre-show dinner, champagne reception, and meet-and-greet.
Owens, a prominent conservative commentator, has over 2.8 million subscribers on her YouTube channel, with over 900 videos totaling more than 349 million views.
