Ref: 216550
1 April 2022
Anthony M
By email to D Sal at [FYI request #18785 email]
Tēnā koe Anthony
Response to your request for Official Information
This is a response to your 5 March 2022 request for information from the Human Rights
Commission.
Your request referred to paragraph 26 of the Cabinet paper CAB‐21‐SUB‐0049
“Government response to the Royal Commission of Inquiry into the terrorist attack on
Christchurch masjidain – first report back”, which reads:1
“Increase the capacity of the Human Rights Commission
26. The HRC is engaging with the community to better understand what particular
aspects would be most useful and appreciated by the public in order for them to
strengthen their response to hate speech, racism and discrimination.”
You asked four questions, which we answer below.
1. How much funding has HRC received from Government in relation to the above?
The Commission was not funded specifical y to carry out community engagement as
described in the quoted paragraph 26.
Regarding the quoted heading above paragraph 26, fol owing a December 2020 Cabinet
decision (see proactive release of Cabinet papers “Continuing Action to Improve Social
Inclusion”),2 $5m in funding (not yet al received or spent) has been committed to the
broader social inclusion initiative described as “strengthening the capacity of the Human
Rights Commission to respond to hate speech, racism and discrimination”.
We note that the Commission is an Independent Crown Entity and a National Human
Rights Institution with A-status accreditation for independence. While government
determines the level of funding the Commission receives, the Commission’s independence
1 Available here: https://dpmc.govt.nz/sites/default/files/2021-04/rcoi-first-report-back.pdf. See page 5 of the
PDF released.
2 Available here: https://dpmc.govt.nz/sites/default/files/2020-12/CAB-20-SUB-0513-continuing-action-to-
improve-social-inclusion.pdf. Title of paper: Continuing Action to Improve Social Inclusion (CAB‐20‐SUB‐
0513 refers) Title of minute: Continuing Action to Improve Social Inclusion (CAB‐20‐MIN‐0513 refers).
As you may already be aware, Cabinet papers related to the government response to the Royal Commission
report are available here: https://dpmc.govt.nz/publications/documents-relating-governments-response-royal-
commission-inquiry-terrorist-attack.
PO Box 10424 Wel ington 6140, Aotearoa New Zealand
waea (tol free): 0800-496-877, TTY (teletypewriter) 0800-150-111, [Human Rights Commission request email], www.hrc.co.nz
as to how it spends that money is important. (See “Financial Independence” on this
information page about NHRIs: https://www.asiapacificforum.net/members/what-are-
nhris/independence/. See also the Commission’s 2021/22 Statement of Performance
Expectations and Statement of Intent: https://www.hrc.co.nz/about/corporate-and-
accountability-information/.
2. When was the funding received?
As noted our answer to question 1, no funding was received specifically to carry out
community engagement as described in above paragraph 26.
From the above-mentioned funding related to the broader social inclusion initiative of
strengthening the Human Rights Commission, $2.5m was received in March 2021.
Another $2.5m is being received quarterly during the 2021/22 financial year.
3. Since the publishing of the royal commission of inquiry report, what
engagements has the HRC undertaken specifically focused on "what would be
most useful and appreciated by the public in order for the HRC to strengthen
their response to hate speech, racism and discrimination"?
Since the publication of the Royal Commission report, the Human Rights Commission has
not carried out engagements exclusively/specifically focused on that topic. In the context of
the Commission’s community engagement relating to the National Action Plan Against
Racism, the Commission has asked on a public website and in online and in-person
community engagements for community ideas for actions to address racism. In the context
of a range of other engagements, the Commission response also remains a high priority
area of information gathering for the Commission. These engagements include for
example Commissioners’ conversations with community members and community
representatives, and Commission staff engagements with individuals who cal and email
the Commission with complaints about hate incidents. The Commission maintains
relationships with affected whānau, survivors and witnesses of the March 15 terror attacks.
The Commission also attended throughout the country as independent observers to listen
at many of the series of meetings government organised with communities following the
Royal Commission report.
4. Since the funding has been received, what work by the Commission has been
undertaken to strengthen their response to hate speech, racism, and
discrimination, and how has that response changed from 2020 and earlier years?
This question was recently asked and answered in the Human Rights Commission’s
annual review before the Justice Select Committee. The Select Committee hearing is
available to view here: https://www.facebook.com/JUSCNZ/videos/1013162449294429/.
Between about 15:30 and 24:00 in that recording, MP Nicole McKee asks about the way
the $5m has been spent.3 In response to the question, Chief Commissioner Paul Hunt
responds explaining the broad approach the Commission has taken to addressing harmful
3 Note she also references an additional $485,000. That was an increase to baseline funding.
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speech and social inclusion. The Acting Chief Executive then describes the new team that
has been established and a range of actions taken in the period.
The new human rights information and support services team can offer voluntary,
confidential early dispute resolution in incidents of harmful speech which do not meet the
threshold for unlawfulness. This was not previously possible, when the Commission’s team
receiving queries from the public was focussed on triaging complaints to identify
complaints alleging unlawful discrimination.
Other initiatives to address hate speech, racism and discrimination that would not have
been possible without the additional funding, particularly in the context of increased
demand related to COVID-19, are described in the Acting Chief Executive’s answer. She
also notes that $1.6m has been spent to date from the $5m.
Alternative avenues
If you are unhappy with this response, under the Official Information Act you are entitled to
complain to the Ombudsman’s Office. Information about how to make a complaint is
available at www.ombudsman.parliament.nz or on freephone 0800 802 602.
Nāku noa, nā
Hannah Northover
New Zealand Human Rights Commission | Te Kāhui Tika Tangata
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