7. Question No. 7—JusticeHon SIMON BRIDGES (National—Tauranga) to the Minister of JusticeQuestion No. 7—Justice7. Hon SIMON BRIDGES (National—Tauranga) to the Minister of Justice: Does he stand by all of his statements and policies on his proposed hate speech law changes?Hon KRIS FAAFOI (Minister of Justice): Yes because as I said yesterday we want New Zealanders to be able to have their say on the proposed changes to our incitement laws and have been informed by the royal commissioner of inquiry. What we are asking the public for feedback on is whether more groups beyond race nationality and ethnicity should be protected under our existing incitement provisions whether we should strengthen the penalties and refining and organising the language and the wording of the offence provisions. I was surprised at the approach that the member took yesterday to hate speech because back in 2019 when he was Leader of the Opposition on hate speech he said I have no criticism of [this] … going through albeit you have to be careful—". That is exactly what we are doing by making sure the public can have their say through the discussion document.Hon Simon Bridges: How could he say yesterday that his proposed hate speech changes do not lower the existing high bar for something to be considered hate speech when his proposals document on page 5 makes clear its aim that any person with the intention of normalising hatred would commit a criminal offence if they merely insult a protected group?Hon KRIS FAAFOI: I disagree with the assertion by the member. The proposals in the discussion document maintained the thresholds for incitement of hate speech as they currently stand and look to narrow the definition of hatred. And I would welcome that the member should take the careful approach that he talked about back in 2019 as Leader of the Opposition and make a submission to the discussion document.Hon Simon Bridges: How could he say yesterday that the high bar isn't being lowered for hate speech when his proposals document again on page 5 makes clear that any person will face civil penalty for inciting discrimination if they simply encourage others to treat members of a protected group differently than others?Hon KRIS FAAFOI: Quite simply because the proposals that we have put in a discussion document come out of the royal commission of inquiry which said itself their proposals "would catch only extreme speech. We do not see the reframed offence as engaged by microaggressions and so on. Nor would it be a mechanism for criminalising the vigorous expression of opinion on controversial issues." I would also note that that member has been put in charge of his party's response to the royal commission of inquiry. I would suggest he takes the careful approach that he talked about back in 2019.Hon Simon Bridges: Isn't it clear given there has been only one conviction for hate speech under the current human rights law and its predecessor and given that he's proposing changes to simplify lower the bar and move the law to the top criminal statute the Crimes Act that this law change will result in many more police prosecutions and convictions?Hon KRIS FAAFOI: Again I disagree with the assertion from the member. We are maintaining the threshold that is in the current legislation for hate speech which only pertains to people around their race colour or nationality. Again I would stress to the member that the careful approach that he said he'd take back in 2019 should be taken in 2021 as well.Hon Simon Bridges: How can he say the Government is just following the royal commission on the terror attacks hate recommendations when he hasn't started implementing any of its less vexed hate crime proposals but he is moving to change and broaden the much more controversial hate speech ones?Hon KRIS FAAFOI: It's pretty simple. Back in early December the royal commission of inquiry made the proposal that we should change the hate crime laws. We are following through on the commitment to those communities who have even this morning expressed that they would like to see these laws changed.Hon Simon Bridges: What is just one way his proposed hate speech laws will prevent future terrorist attacks in New Zealand?Hon KRIS FAAFOI: This is about hate speech and inciting hate speech towards potentially expanding that to communities that aren't protected at the moment. I think it's pretty simple that if you are a group that is targeted by hate speech because someone is inciting hatred against you and that turns into an act I would hope that would prevent the kinds of things that the royal commission was looking at."