New Zealand grants visa to controversial US pundit Candace Owens

Free speech advocates are celebrating a visa win for controversial right-wing American firebrand Candace Owens.

Controversial American firebrand Candace Owens has scored a big win in her ambition to promote a hard right political vision to crowds across Australia and New Zealand, with New Zealand authorities reversing an earlier decision to block her from entering their country.

New Zealand’s immigration department had originally declined to grant Ms Owens a visa after Australian Immigration Minister Tony Burke blocked her from entering Australia on character grounds.

But this week, New Zealand Associate Minister for Immigration Chris Penk overturned that decision following a request from Ms Owens.

“The Minister has granted Ms Owens a visa following a request for Ministerial Intervention,” a spokesman for Mr Penk told NewsWire.

“Immigration New Zealand originally declined her visa application on the basis of section 15(1)(f) of the Immigration Act following Ms Owens being denied entry to Australia.

“Subsequently, Ms Owens requested intervention from the Associate Minister of Immigration to exercise his discretion and grant her a visa.”

Ms Owens said she was “thrilled” about the opportunity to travel to the South Pacific nation “to speak with the people, share ideas and engage in meaningful conversations”.

Candace Owens has been granted a visa to travel to New Zealand. Picture: Joe Raedle/Getty Images/AFP

“I applaud the minister for standing up for the rights of individuals to engage in political discourse without fear of being silenced,” she said.

Ms Owens was initially scheduled to tour both countries across November but following Mr Burke’s intervention, the shows were rescheduled for early 2025.

The first date on the Candace Owens Live tour is listed for Auckland on February 28 and then Brisbane on March 4, Sydney on March 6, Perth on March 8, Adelaide on March 9 and then Melbourne on March 10.

Ms Owens remains blocked from entering Australia.

“From downplaying the impact of the Holocaust with comments about Mengele through to claims that Muslims started slavery, Candace Owens has the capacity to incite discord in almost every direction,” Mr Burke said in October on announcing his decision to block her visa.

“Australia’s national interest is best served when Candace Owens is somewhere else.”

Ms Owens blasted Mr Burke’s decision as a “petty act of vandalism” and launched an appeal.

She has suggested her application was blocked due to her coverage of attacks on Palestinians in Gaza.

“I just wanted to make sure that every person knows that despite me being fired, demonised, spoken ill about, I haven’t changed my position,” she said.

“That’s what this really is, a petty act of vandalism. No one’s worried about me coming to Australia because they’re angry that they’ve put this narrative out about me and my listeners haven’t accepted it.”

NewsWire understands the appeal process is ongoing.

Ms Owens’ Ticketek page has stated ticket holders will be refunded if the Australian shows don’t go ahead.

Free speech advocates have welcomed the decision from Mr Penk to grant Ms Owens a visa. Picture: Instagram

The influencer, who split from mainstream US conservative commentator Ben Shapiro and his news outlet The Daily Wire in March this year, counts 5.8 million followers on Twitter and some five million on Instagram.

Executive Council of Australian Jewry co-chief executive Peter Wertheim called on Mr Burke to cancel Ms Owens’ visa, arguing she failed the character test under the Migration Act.

“At a time of unprecedented strains on the cohesiveness of Australian society, which is very largely the outcome of ignorant and malicious comment on social media, the last thing we need to be importing into our country is yet another so-called celebrity who has made racist and bigoted comments about Jews and other vulnerable groups,” he said.

Free speech advocates have applauded New Zealand’s reversal.

“We applaud Chris Penk for doing the right thing and defending the speech rights for Candace Owens and all Kiwis,” Free Speech Union chief executive Jonathan Ayling said.

“It was appalling to see Immigration New Zealand follow in the footsteps of Australia and deny Owens’ entry on spurious grounds. It’s a dangerous situation to be in when the State begins to cherrypick which voices we hear from.”

Originally published as New Zealand grants visa to controversial US pundit Candace Owens