No open doors for anti co-governance gatherin

JULIA WADE

27 Mar, 2023

Hot on the backlash of the incendiary Dargaville and Orewa meetings, supporters of anti co-governance activist Julian Batchelor are struggling to find an open door in east Kaipara and Bream Bay, for the controversial evangelist speaker to share his views.

To date, the Stop Co-Governance Tour [SCGT] has been denied access or had bookings cancelled for public meetings in more than six community venues from Ruakaka, Waipu, Kaiwaka, Mangawhai and the Heads, as well as Wellsford.

Although venue holders and committees contacted state they do believe in freedom of speech, they are also hesitant for their facility to host the tour for a number of reasons, including not wanting to be associated with an issue so inflammatory or have the potential to divide and disrupt the community, having a close affiliation with local Maori, or that the topic is not suitable for their venue as it used for a specified activity.

Mangawhai Recreation Centre was one of the venues approached to hold a SCGT meeting. Mangawhai Beach School [MBS] board of trustees who oversee the facility stated: ‘The Board recognises and supports free speech through healthy debate in public spaces. The school is not a public space; instead, it exists to meet the needs of its school community. Consideration of private hire is through that criteria. On this occasion, the board has opted not to privately hire the school property, and we wish Julian well in finding a public venue suited for a meeting or debate.’

Stopping the tour from holding public meetings is viewed as a prevention of inciting and promoting racism by some and a denial of liberty and individual choice by others. One tour supporter commented ‘it’s really shocked and saddened me to find that people were not going to allow freedom of speech. All his [Julian’s] event is trying to do is show well-researched evidence why co-governance should not be allowed so people can decide for themselves.’

Kaipara district councillor Te Moananui o Kaipara Maori Ward, Ihapera Paniora, believes otherwise, saying the‘Stop Co-Governance Tour is in breach of NZ Bill of Rights and Human Rights Acts and incites racial disharmony. She began a petition on March 18 – which attracted over 3000 supporters in the first two days – to be submitted to NZ Attorney General David Parker and the Human Rights Commission.

“This tour has only just started and has the potential to cause further racial division over time… it is utter, blatant racism.”

Anti co-governance presenter Julian Batchelor speaks in Kerikeri a couple of weeks ago. PHOTO/RNZ/SAM OLLEY