SkyCity yesterday pulled the plug on hosting philosopher and academic Peter Singer’s event after disability rights advocates expressed strong objections to his views. They’re right to be angry with him, but he nevertheless deserves to be heard, argues Danyl Mclauchlan. A thoughtful piece on The Spinoff yesterday explored the disabled community’s reaction to moral philosopher … Read more
Controversial Australian philosopher Peter Singer is coming to New Zealand in June. While he believes in reducing suffering for all humans and animals, his views on disability have sparked widespread alarm and condemnation. Update: ThinkInc, promoters of the live event ‘An Evening with Peter Singer’, have announced that Auckland venue Skycity has cancelled their contract, … Read more
The High Court rejection of the Free Speech Coalition’s challenge to the cancellation of an Auckland event by Lauren Southern and Stefan Molyneux carries a cruel irony for the zealous right. If the current madness of modern life permits, cast your mind back to the middle of last year. Two “right-wing provocateurs” from Canada (ship … Read more
In her second column for The Spinoff, activist Anjum Rahman recounts her experience at a recent media event as a way of examining what’s at stake in the free speech debate. To receive an invitation to the renowned Hamilton Press Club lunch is quite a thing, given that many media personalities and prominent community members … Read more
Controversy erupted over The Project host Kanoa Lloyd’s decision to wear an ‘it’s OK to be white’ t-shirt this week. Newshub’s Sophie Bateman looks into the co-option of a seemingly innocuous slogan. The Rorschach test is a famous psychological tool in which patients are shown a series of random inkblots and asked what they see. … Read more
Are we missing the rise of the far right? Marc Daalder speaks to the angry middle-aged men who want to see nationalism rise in New Zealand. Hundreds of Kiwis have pledged to march today against an obscure UN migration pact today under the guise of a brand-new organisation calling itself NZ Sovereignty. The central issue emphasised … Read more
Whether you’re on the left or right, it’s obvious that Manning should be allowed to speak in New Zealand, argues Act leader David Seymour. And the same goes for Molyneux, Southern and Brash. Here we go again. Another polarising person who will infuriate at least half the population is having their right to speak challenged. … Read more
Lauren Southern and Stefan Molyneux are in New Zealand to preach their alt-right message in Auckland. But should the media just ignore them, asks Hayden Donnell for The Spinoff TV. “Their visit has excited both racists and people who are racist adjacent,” says Hayden Donnell. But as the Canadian visitor appear to perversely use even … Read more
‘The Powerstation is a blank canvas,’ says owner after organisers reveal alt-right duo Lauren Southern and Stefan Molyneux will appear at beloved music venue in Auckland this evening. The owner and manager of Auckland live music venue The Powerstation has cancelled the appearance this evening of Stefan Molyneux and Lauren Southern. Peter Campbell initially defended … Read more
Detachment is a luxury only some enjoy. For women, non-whites or any of the subjects of Stefan Molyneux and Lauren Southern’s rants, looking the other way is rarely possible, writes Morgan Godfery White nationalism is, for the basement dwelling 4chaners, mouth breathing Redditors, and Youtube philosopher kings, nothing more than a desperate search for an … Read more
Good morning, and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: The PM returns to work, collapsed construction firm contractors can get tools, and better access for NZers to America announced. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern is officially back in action, and has a rather full agenda to be getting on with. Top of the list, reports Stuff, will be … Read more
What Stefan Molyneux and Lauren Southern actually say and do is more important than an ideological argument about freedom of expression, argues Graham Cameron. There are three aspects of the Free Speech Coalition – currently taking legal action against Auckland Council – that stand out. One, they didn’t Google before they made up their name, … Read more
Beneath the snowflake jokes and the racism, it’s pretty clear that the far-right really likes playing the victim, writes Philippa McLoughlin The recent decision to ban Lauren Southern and Stefan Molyneux from council venues in Auckland has highlighted a disturbing trend in the way that some New Zealanders are willing to take action to suppress … Read more
Good morning, and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: Court action over Southern-Molyneux speech proceeds, courier work conditions exposed, and Northland activists target P-pipe stores. Legal action against Phil Goff and Auckland Council has gone ahead over the Southern-Molyneux venue banning, reports the NZ Herald. The Free Speech Coalition have filed papers to force Auckland Council … Read more
Auckland Council’s cancellation of two alt-right personalities’ booking at a council-owned venue has been justified on the basis of their ‘divisive’ views. Whatever happened to the liberal ideal of free speech, asks Ali Shakir. Had it not been for the controversy stirred by her New Zealand show’s cancellation, I might never have heard about Lauren … Read more
A newly formed Free Speech Coalition has raised $50,000 in one day to support the rights of two racists to speak at the Bruce Mason Centre. Hayden Donnell catalogues a few times some of the coalition members have been less fervent in their defence of free speech. David Farrar has written about his inclusion in … Read more
If you think there’s an easy answer on the whole Lauren Southern/Stefan Molyneux saga, law professor Andrew Geddis reckons you probably haven’t thought about it hard enough. Up until about a week ago, I and most of New Zealand hadn’t the faintest clue who Lauren Southern or Stefan Molyneux were. Having better things to do … Read more
Good morning, and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: Nurses strike set to take place tomorrow, China responds to Defence paper that names their country, and Auckland Council is being taken to court over two extremist speakers. In what is arguably the most important story of the year so far, the nurses strike is back … Read more
Good morning, and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: Defence Force outlines what they say are complex and emerging threats, cochlear implant funding effectively cut, and there’s a public service strike today. The Defence Force is warning about increasingly complex threats, including from Russia and China, in their strategic policy statement released on Friday. Newshub reports that both those … Read more