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The government has announced it will cease funding for the He Whenua Taurikura research centre, a hub for studying “white supremacy” and “violent extremism” established after the 2019 Christchurch mosque attacks.
The decision, which takes effect in December, has sparked criticism from community leaders and the research centre’s trust, who describe it as a “broken promise” and a threat to public safety.
The two million dollars in savings, they argue, risks leaving the country vulnerable to future extremist threats.
Despite earlier promises for sustained funding, the centre’s budget had already been cut significantly. Critics of the decision point out that while other countries invest in extremism research, New Zealand will be left without any specialised insights into domestic terrorism. Advocates warn that halting the centre’s work will diminish the voices of vulnerable communities and leave a gap in understanding the root causes of violent extremism, with potential long-term consequences for national security.
This article was originally published by the Daily Telegraph New Zealand.
