Muzzling Of Charities Now Extends To Auckland University
Media Release 29 August 2017
Family First NZ says that the Auckland University Students Association (AUSA) disaffiliating the student club Prolife Auckland from the AUSA is a disturbing continuation of attempts by both the State and now tertiary institutions to shut down free speech, debate and views.
“As with the attempts to muzzle Family First’s views, this action by the AUSA will have a chilling effect for many other groups who advocate for causes, beliefs, and on behalf of their supporters, and may then find themselves labelled as politically incorrect and effectively censored,” says Bob McCoskrie, National Director of Family First NZ.
“It is incredible that this muzzling is happening in a university where freedom of speech and debate should be treasured and protected at all costs. It is to the shame of the ProLife Auckland’s opponents that they are so intimidated and threatened by a group who values women and the unborn child that they have to resort to censoring them. This is an embarrassment for an academic institution that prides itself on diversity.”
“It appears that certain views of marriage, family and protection of life are now deemed out-of-bounds by the State and others in our communities. Auckland University will become a place where it is no longer safe to have a certain view. That should concern us all,” says Mr McCoskrie.
Family First has contacted ProLife Auckland to offer legal advice and support.
(Family First is going back to the Wellington High Court to challenge a second attempt by the Charities Board to deregister Family First because of the belief of the Trust Board that our views about marriage and the traditional family “cannot be determined to be for the public benefit in a way previously accepted as charitable”.)
“We’ll fight political correctness and muzzling of free speech because of the threat it places on other charities & causes and their freedom to speak and advocate on behalf of their supporters in a civil society,” says Mr McCoskrie.
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