Immigration Minister Iain Lees-Galloway says two far-right Canadian speakers' views are "morally repugnant", as they were granted New Zealand work visas today.
Controversial Canadian speakers Lauren Southern and Stefan Molyneux have been granted work visas to enter the country after Auckland Council would not allow the pair to speak on Council-owned venues, citing safety issues as the reasoning.
Speaking to 1 NEWS Mr Lees-Galloway backed Immigration New Zealand's decision to grant the visas while also voicing his disdain about the speakers' far-right ideology.
"We absolutely do not condone the things they have been saying, it's repugnant to me personally and they're repugnant to the Government as well but we have to have that high bar in who we exclude from New Zealand.
"I would hate to see the a future Government use the immigration act to suppress debate on indigenous rights or any other matter that genuinely needs to be debated in New Zealand," Mr Lees-Galloway said.
Auckland Mayor Phil Goff told RNZ's Morning Report on July 10 he was "not going to aid and abet people who spout racist nonsense by providing them with a venue".
"Neither speaker has been convicted of a crime, nor banned from the United Kingdom or Australia as has been previously reported," Mr Lees-Galloway said.
Ms Southern tweeted on July 9 a letter she said she received from Immigration New Zealand not allowing her entry into New Zealand, that was later retracted.
It said due to her ban from entering the UK, she would not be given a visa to New Zealand but she could seek to obtain a Special Direction before entering.
However, Ms Southern tweeted a follow up email which said Immigration Border Operations "recently confirmed that your ban from the UK does not affect your ability to travel to, or enter New Zealand".
"Thanks I guess? Now if we could be unbanned from our venue that'd be great," Ms Southern wrote.
The work visa will give the pair 10 days in New Zealand.
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