Massey firm on Brash speaking ban
and Massey University vice-chancellor Jan Thomas is standing firm over her decision to ban former MP and Reserve Bank governor Don Brash from speaking at an event.
Brash was due to speak tonight as part of a series of political talks at the Manawatu¯ campus, hosted by the Politics Club.
“The event had been planned through the student association and they had agreed with all the requirements to use our venue so we were quite comfortable with that,” Thomas told Newstalk ZB yesterday.
“When they raised their concerns over their ability to meet those terms and conditions as a result of a surge in social media and so on, we then looked at it and made a decision.”
In announcing the decision to cancel, Massey University said there were security concerns after it had been made aware of social media posts suggesting the event could lead to violence.
“The university considered providing additional security for the event, but decided the risk of harm to students, staff and members of the public was too great, particularly at a time of heightened tension over the issues around free speech and hate speech.”
Thomas said she supported free speech on campus but totally opposed hate speech.
“In my opinion the views expressed by members of Hobson’s Pledge come dangerously close to hate speech.”
She also said Brash was a supporter of far-right Canadian activists Lauren Southern and Stefan Molyneux, who recently left New Zealand without holding an event here after Auckland Council banned the pair from using its venues and replacement venue the Powerstation cancelled at the last minute.
However Brash told Larry Williams on Newstalk ZB yesterday he was defending the right to
HRead Don Brash's speech at nzherald.co.nz
freedom of speech, not the opinions that Southern and Molyneux share. “The irony is, I was to speak about my time as National party leader between 2003 and 2006, I wasn’t talking about current events at all,” he said. “In my speech notes, I make no reference to the Canadians or to the Hobson speech or anything else.”
Brash, who is a member of the Free Speech Coalition, believed Thomas kicked him off the event because she didn’t share the same views as him.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern weighed in on the dispute yesterday, stating that it was an “overreaction on the part of the university”.
“There’ll be a number of examples over the years where politicians and ex-politicians have gone on to campuses and there has been a bit of a stir around their views and people using their voice to either protest or support,” she said.
Education Minister Chris Hipkins said while universities were autonomous, he would not have made the same decision as Thomas.
“I think in this case they’ve made the wrong decision but that’s a matter for the university.”
Act leader David Seymour called for Thomas’ resignation.
“After veiled threats from a leftwing thug in a letter to the vicechancellor, she capitulated this morning and prevented Dr Brash from speaking on ‘security’ grounds.”
Brash is scheduled to speak in a debate at the University of Auckland tomorrow and the event is expected to go ahead.