3. Hon PETER DUNNE (Leader—United Future) Link to this
to the Minister of Justice
Does he propose to introduce legislation repealing the law on sedition?
Hon MARK BURTON (Minister of Justice) Link to this
Yes. The matter was signed off yesterday by Cabinet, and I will be introducing a bill to the House following appropriate consultation.
Will the Minister concede that the reason that this decision has been brought forward from the original October response date that he announced at the time the Law Commission’s report was released is the call by United Future, the Greens, ACT, and the Māori Party for urgent action on this question; and can he indicate to the House, given the lightness of the timetable of the legislative programme and the fact that the Law Commission has already drafted the bill, precisely when the bill will come before the House?
As much as I hate to rain on the member’s parade, I can say that the matter came forward as soon as it was ready. This was a simple matter, and I think the member will recall that on the day the report was tabled I made the comment publicly that the commission had made a compelling case and that I expected the bill to receive wide support in the House. I would anticipate that with the agreement of the Leader of the House, the bill will come before the House quite soon.
Why, then, if this is all so urgent and immediate, did the Minister say at the time the original report was tabled that he would be responding in October, which is still many months away?
I would be happy to be corrected, but I believe I simply indicated to the House that the Government was required to respond by October. If I said “in October” then I apologise to the member, but I was certainly indicating to the House that there is a statutory obligation to respond within the 6-month time limit.
Keith LockeWill the Minister’s bill removing the sedition provisions in the Crimes Act also remove the remaining thought crime provision in the Act, that in section 123, ”Blasphemous libel”, which not only undermines the separation of church and State but can also put people in prison for criticising certain religious institutions or practices?
I do not have the draft bill with me in the House, but my best recollection is that the matter the member raises is somewhat outside the scope of the bill and the report from the Law Commission.
I seek leave to table the joint statement by United Future, the Greens, ACT, and the Māori Party on 24 April, explaining how freedom of expression is compromised—
Madam SPEAKER