Jillaine Heather from the Free Speech Union discusses Chris Hipkins' last-minute pledge, made at a Wellington mosque the day before the election, to enact the Royal Commission's recommendation on hate speech. She argues this amounts to reintroducing blasphemy law by stealth, despite Parliament unanimously repealing blasphemy laws in 2019 and the policy appearing nowhere in Labour's manifesto.




Heather warns the proposed law would criminalise insulting or criticising any religion, pointing to overseas precedents in the UK, Pakistan and Europe where such laws have been weaponised and selectively enforced against minority and dissenting voices rather than protecting communities. With the Greens and Te Pāti Māori also backing the policy, she says the outcome may hinge on special votes and the Opportunities Party's position, and confirms the Free Speech Union is running a petition and preparing a briefing document for whichever government is formed ([fsu.nz](https://www.fsu.nz)).



Tune into Thoughts & Comments from 10:00am - 2:00pm on the Rhema Media App.

For more from the show, visit the Thoughts & Comments page at rhema.co.nz.

Produced using AI tools under human supervision.

Jillaine Heather from the Free Speech Union discusses Chris Hipkins' last-minute pledge, made at a Wellington mosque the day before the election, to enact the Royal Commission's recommendation on hate speech. She argues this amounts to reintroducing blasphemy law by stealth, despite Parliament unanimously repealing blasphemy laws in 2019 and the policy appearing nowhere in Labour's manifesto. Heather warns the proposed law would criminalise insulting or criticising any religion, pointing to overseas precedents in the UK, Pakistan and Europe where such laws have been weaponised and selectively enforced against minority and dissenting voices rather than protecting communities. With the Greens and Te Pāti Māori also backing the policy, she says the outcome may hinge on special votes and the Opportunities Party's position, and confirms the Free Speech Union is running a petition and preparing a briefing document for whichever government is formed ([fsu.nz](https://www.fsu.nz)). Tune into Thoughts &amp; Comments from 10:00am - 2:00pm on the Rhema Media App.For more from the show, visit the <a href="https://www.rhema.co.nz/listen-on-demand/video-podcast/thoughts-and-comments" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Thoughts &amp; Comments</a> page at rhema.co.nz.Produced using AI tools under human supervision.

Thoughts & Comments brings social commentary to current issues and a faith perspective to the latest news. Hosted by Andrew Urquhart, a seasoned broadcaster with over three decades of experience. In each episode, Andrew chats with a wide range of guests and experts who bring their wisdom and insight to a huge variety of topics, including politics, psychology, societal trends, theology, geopolitical analysis, social policy, and spirituality. We’ll give you something worth thinking about! Thoughts & Comments with Andrew Urquhart, wherever you get your Podcasts.

Thoughts &amp; Comments brings social commentary to current issues and a faith perspective to the latest news. Hosted by Andrew Urquhart, a seasoned broadcaster with over three decades of experience. In each episode, Andrew chats with a wide range of guests and experts who bring their wisdom and insight to a huge variety of topics, including politics, psychology, societal trends, theology, geopolitical analysis, social policy, and spirituality. We&rsquo;ll give you something worth thinking about! Thoughts &amp; Comments with Andrew Urquhart, wherever you get your Podcasts.

Thoughts & Comments Podcast

Thoughts & Comments brings social commentary to current issues and a faith perspective to the latest news. Hosted by Andrew Urquhart, a seasoned broadcaster with over three decades of experience, chatting with a wide range of guests and experts who bring their wisdom and insight to a huge variety of topics, including politics, psychology, societal trends, theology, geopolitical analysis, social policy, and spirituality. We’ll give you something worth thinking about! Thoughts & Comments with Andrew Urquhart, wherever you get your Podcasts.

Thoughts &amp; Comments brings social commentary to current issues and a faith perspective to the latest news. Hosted by Andrew Urquhart, a seasoned broadcaster with over three decades of experience, chatting with a wide range of guests and experts who bring their wisdom and insight to a huge variety of topics, including politics, psychology, societal trends, theology, geopolitical analysis, social policy, and spirituality. We&rsquo;ll give you something worth thinking about! Thoughts &amp; Comments with Andrew Urquhart, wherever you get your Podcasts.