Prime Minister Christopher Luxon says the Green Party’s handling of allegations of migrant exploitation involving Green MP Darleen Tana is “messy”.
“It’s a bit messy, but it’s an issue for the Greens,” Luxon told reporters in Christchurch today.
“Those are all issues for them,” he said when asked if the Green Party should have acted faster regarding Tana, who has been suspended as an Employment Relations Authority investigation into allegations of migrant exploitation linked with her husband’s bicycle business.
Luxon is in Christchurch with Lead Coordination Minister Judith Collins after expressing their deepest sympathy on the anniversary of the terror attacks.
He told reporters he had “good conversations” with victims’ families and survivors on a range of issues, but said he would keep those private.
The focus of the conversations was about what support had been given to them in the five years since the attack and what families might need in the following five years.
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Lead Coordination Minister Judith Collins are in Christchurch today on the anniversary of the mosque terror attacks. Photo / George Heard
Luxon wouldn’t say whether the Government’s proposed review of firearms legislation was a topic discussed with victims’ families and survivors. He assured there would be “no new guns” allowed into New Zealand as a result of the legislation rewrite.
“There’s a lot of gendered hate,” Luxon said when asked about what people received the most hate. He added the topic of hate speech was discussed with families and Luxon wanted to build more awareness of the Islamic community in New Zealand.
Luxon said the previous Labour government struggled to introduce specific hate speech legislation but he added the idea of “hate reassurance” was important to him as it would allow people to report incidents to police.
“Hate speech is not high on our agenda,” he said.
Collins said 23 of the 44 recommendations from the Royal Commission of Inquiry into the terror attack had been completed. Eight were currently progressing and there were 15 which still required ministerial decisions to be made.
Collins said the first meeting of a group of ministers tasked with assessing the remaining recommendations would occur next month.
Luxon hadn’t discussed reparations with the families, with Collins adding ACC and the welfare system were the processes used to compensate and support people.
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon met with St John staff. Photo / George Heard
The Prime Minister and Collins visited St John at a city centre depot at lunchtime today and met with first responders.
“March 15, 2019, was a day when families, communities and the country came together both in sorrow and solidarity,” Luxon said.
“Today we pay our respects to the 51 shuhada – the martyrs who were unjustly targeted for their beliefs, and to those who were injured.
“We remember the great courage and compassion from our Muslim community, that continues to this day.
