National wants Chelsea Manning banned from New Zealand
Wellington: The New Zealand National Party wants the government to deny ex-US army intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning entry to New Zealand. Tickets are being sold to two events next month to hear her speak, in Auckland on September 8 and Wellington on September 9. The former US Army soldier was sentenced to 35 years in prison for leaking hundreds of thousands of documents containing classified information about American diplomats and the military.
She spent seven years in prison before former US President Barack Obama commuted her sentence and she was released last year.
The conviction means she has to apply for a special direction visa to come to New Zealand. Associate Immigration Minister Kris Faafoi’s office said it hadn’t yet received an application. National Party Immigration spokesperson Michael Woodhouse said if it were up to him he would be banning Ms Manning from the country. “Chelsea Manning used a position of responsibility and authority to steal hundreds of thousands of documents that may well have put American lives at risk.
“She was convicted and sentenced to a 35-year prison term and as a consequence has no good reason to be coming to New Zealand.”
He said this case bore no comparison to the recent visit of Canadian right wing speakers Lauren Southern and Stephen Molyneux.
“This is not a question of free speech. [Ms Manning] is free absolutely to say whatever she wants but she’s not free to travel wherever she wants. Other countries have already denied her entry,” he said.
It was highly inappropriate that she should make money from talking about her crimes, Mr Woodhouse said.
Mr Woodhouse said Section 15 of the Immigration Act was very clear and he was surprised there had been no application yet for a special direction visa.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern refused to comment on whether she thought Ms Manning should be allowed into the country.