Allowing singer Chris Brown into New Zealand would be contrary to the country's stance against domestic violence, says National MP Judith Collins.
The US artist was convicted in 2009 of assaulting and threatening to kill his then girlfriend, Rihanna.
Chris Brown performing in Sydney in 2012. Australia is now considering refusing to give him a visa. Photo: Wikicommons
Tickets are going on sale today for his Auckland concert in December despite uncertainty about whether the singer's One Hell of a Nite Tour will take place. Australia has taken a step toward blocking Brown entering the country by giving a formal notice that it intends to consider refusing giving him a visa. He has 28 days to present material as to why he should be given a visa to enter Australia.
Ms Collins said there were "enough wife-beaters in this country and we don't need any more."
"[Domestic violence] is the biggest form of violence that the police have to deal with. It's one of the worst forms of violence that people have to endure and it would be contrary to the messaging that we're trying to get out as a government but also as a people."
If people wanted to listen to Brown's music they could buy it online, she said.
The singer performed in two shows in New Zealand in 2008. The following year he was convicted of assault and threatening to kill, and sentenced to five years probation. Brown has previously been banned from the United Kingdom and Canada.
Under immigration rules in this country, a person is not eligible to be granted a visa to enter New Zealand if they have been excluded from another country.
Rihanna and Brown attending a basketball game in Los Angeles in 2012. Photo: AFP
Ticketmaster New Zealand says ticket sales still have the green light. "As far as we are aware, the show is going ahead, and will sell tickets for this show unless told otherwise by the promoter," the agency told Radio New Zealand.
A spokeswoman for Immigration Minister Michael Woodhouse said developments in Australia were unlikely to affect Brown's bid to get a visa for New Zealand.
Immigration New Zealand said today Brown had still has not submitted an application to travel to New Zealand.
Mr Woodhouse has said previously that Brown could enter the country through a special direction under the Immigration Act.
Labour's spokesperson for Immigration and for Women's Affairs, Sue Moroney, said the performer should not be allowed entry into New Zealand.
"I do think he should be stopped. New Zealand needs to take a really strong stand on issues of domestic violence.
"We have visas that give us the ability to stop entry on that basis and I believe we should be using it because it really is time New Zealand stood up for what it believes in," she said.
Ms Moroney also said New Zealand has been "quite a leading light" in the past for similar cases.
"It is a decision for us to make for ourselves and I think we have made some good consistent decisions.
"When Mike Tyson was blocked from coming here on supposedly a motivational tour, no-one in the country suffered from not hearing his motivational words.
"And I don't think it would be any different with Chris Brown," Ms Moroney said.
- RNZ / ABC
