The Government’s decision not to implement eight of the 44 recommendations of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into the March 15th attacks is an affront to those affected by this atrocity and communities at risk of hate crimes.
“What has the Government learnt from that day if it’s unwilling to take up key recommendations on how to prevent such terror attacks recurring?” says the Green Party spokesperson for the Government Response to March 15th, Kahurangi Carter.
“Failing to follow through on recommendations about hate speech, restorative justice for survivors and accessible reporting of risks is a serious dereliction of duty in response to the worst terrorist attack in our history.
“The decision not to follow through on the recommendation about hate speech is particularly galling. At a time when we’re seeing more online extremism, disinformation and division, we must remember that terror atrocities often begin with hate speech – and as this terrible instance showed, particularly when it’s allowed to spread online.
“If existing reporting mechanisms for threats were sufficient, March 15th may have been avoided. Our Muslim communities in Aotearoa raised their concern time and time again before that dark day, but it fell on deaf ears. An inability to report hate speech means our institutions can’t monitor that risk – that’s not good enough.
“Another recommendation knocked back is mandatory reporting of firearms injuries to police by health professionals. This only reinforces the ‘head in the sand’ mentality of a Government seeking to liberalise gun laws.
“The world is watching our response to one of the darkest days in our history. Picking and choosing recommendations to end far-right terror fails not just the victims and survivors of this tragedy, but makes Aotearoa less safe for all,” says Kahurangi Carter.
