Controversial media personality Candace Owens on the set of "Candace" , 13 September, 2021 in Nashville, Tennessee. Photo: AFP/ Getty Images - Jason Davies
Young Labour has published an open letter urging the government to follow Australia's lead, and stop Candace Owens entering the country.
The conservative US commentator and Trump supporter has caused controversy with her views questioning the holocaust, and criticising feminism, the Black Lives Matter movement, and trans people.
She is booked to deliver a speech in Auckland next month - and had been expected to continue to Australia until she was refused entry. Tickets were selling for between $95 for general admission and $1500 for a VIP package with a pre-show dinner, champagne reception and meet-and-greet.
Australian Immigration Minister Tony Burke said the country's national interest would be best served with Owens somewhere else, as she could "incite discord in almost every direction".
In a statement, the Free Speech Union lobbying group said New Zealand should not "commit the same blunder", as "provocative or unpopular opinions are not a reason to deny someone's entry into a country".
Young Labour president Ethan Reille disagreed, and called on the coalition government to deny Owens entry to New Zealand.
An open letter calling for the government to deny entry to conservative US commentator and influencer Candace Owens. Photo: Young Labour / Supplied
"Her views are not merely just controversial, but they are dangerous. So we do have an obligation to be protecting our communities from that kind of rhetoric that empowers divisive movements. So it is our view that allowing her a platform would fail to uphold our core values."
"Like we saw from the visit to Posie Parker at the end of last year, it does increase tensions in our communities, and that particularly offers a wider platform for those that have similar views."
He said if the government chose not to ban Owens from New Zealand, the government should ensure higher security protocols in place at Owens' events, "to ensure that when those people do choose to counter protest her, they're also not met with violence".
Free Speech Union member Dane Giraud said it was far better to have all ideas out in the open.
"Bad ideas are beaten by good ideas, and good ideas can only rise to the top in a robust and open debate. Listening to views that go against established opinions is simply an opportunity to make your own argument stronger. If you disagree with Owens, her tour is an opportunity for this. Equally, if New Zealanders don't want to engage with Owens, they don't need to attend her events.
"Those pushing for Owens' visa to be denied should stop to recognise that censorship doesn't get us anywhere. Take Australia's decision as an example: denying Owens' entry has simply created more interest in Owens and her views than there otherwise would have been."
Reille rejected that, saying the wider public knew there was a robust contest of ideas in New Zealand.
"I think that Candace Owens goes further than that, and she aims to try and dismantle that and our own values that we have," he said.
"I think it goes back to what hate speech actually is, and it's the fact that she's expressing prejudice on the basis of communities, ethnicity, their religion, their sexual orientation - and that again is a choice that we as the people of New Zealand and the government has to make as to whether we want to allow that in our country."
Owens has more than 2.8 million subscribers on her YouTube channel, which has over 900 videos that have been viewed more than 349 million times.
Giraud pointed to Owens' Australian visa decision as having created more interest in her and her views, but Reille pushed back against the suggestion the calls for a ban would only serve to generate further publicity.
"Many, many people already know who Candace Owen is. They know what she aims to achieve, and they know why she's visiting Aotearoa," he said.
"I would assume that if we did allow her in she would continue to have that platform, because there could be protests against her public meetings, there could be protests about what she aims to achieve. I think the message we're sending is that we are a united country, and we know what our values are and our values don't and shouldn't align with what she aims to achieve."
Immigration NZ on Sunday confirmed Owens had applied for an entertainers work visa.
The agency on Wednesday said the visa was being assessed by an Immigration officer against the relevant requirements, "and we are working with the tour promoter and Ms. Owens' representatives to ensure she receives a decision ahead of her scheduled tour dates".
"All visa applicants must meet specific requirements, including a good character assessment that considers factors such as criminal convictions, deportation history, and potential risks to New Zealand's security, public order, or public interest.
"There is no provision in the Immigration Act to prevent a person travelling to New Zealand based solely on their previous expression of opinion and ideas. Immigration decision-makers have to weigh up all the factors and assess whether an individual presents a threat or risk to security, public order or the public interest and can be deemed an excluded person."