Irony

From Question Time today:

Keith Locke: Does the Prime Minister agree that the environmental, peace, and Māori rights movements have a long history of peaceful protests and should not be, in any way, smeared by association with the alleged acts of violence by one or two individuals?

Hon Dr MICHAEL CULLEN: New Zealand stands for the right to peaceful protest; many of us in this House have engaged in peaceful protest in the past. Indeed, the *Terrorism Suppression Act itself is quite specific around that matter.

Indeed it is. For example, it provides an exemption to the laws on terrorist financing in s8 (2) making it clear that it is not an offence to collect funds "for the purpose of advocating democratic government or the protection of human rights".

Naturally, the government is planning to repeal this clause in its Terrorism Suppression Amendment Bill currently before the House.