David Farrar
Free Speech Coalition
In a matter of days the Government has reconsidered its definition of “essential media” so that it will now include those publications which meet the following criteria: serves a need for hard to reach rural communities, with reduced connectivity, and/or serves non-English speaking communities, and have appropriate health and safety measures to minimise the spread of COVID-19 during production and delivery.
This is a massive victory for free speech. Not only did the Government act rapidly to amend the rules, but free speech was one of the key topics of the Prime Minister’s daily media conference. She responded directly to our campaign! The threat of judicial review proceedings was one of the factors which helped propel this issue into the forefront of the Government’s agenda.
However, we are still not ruling out the possibility of proceeding. The ban still applies to the likes of The Listener, North & South and other monthly publications. It still appears the Government is accepting of ‘news’ and dissemination of information, vs the key thing a free press is for: views, analysis, and debate. With the Government having locked-down New Zealanders, surely that is more important right now than ever?
Our press release welcoming the PM’s change of heart is below.
Prime Minister Reconsiders Ban On Rural And Ethnic Publications
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has announced that rural and ethnic media outlets will be re-classified as essential services, if they are able to show they serve either a hard to reach or non-English speaking audience and follow health and safety best practice, to minimise the risk of spreading COVID-19.
Free Speech Coalition spokesman David Farrar says, “We are very pleased to see the Government acknowledge its initial ruling on the scope of essential media was wrong. The wider definition will allow difficult to reach, and non-English speaking communities to continue to receive news which they would otherwise have been cut-off from.”
“This takes away some the immediate urgency of our judicial review but we’re not ruling it out. We need to go back our donors and supporters, review the decision, and speak to our lawyers before we make [a] sic decision.”
Before the PM’s announcement, I sat down with Dane Giraud on the Free Speech Coalition Podcast to talk about the ban.
We will continue to monitor how the Government implements this decision, and keep pushing to ensure the media in New Zealand are able to provide accurate and reliable information to all New Zealanders.
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