New Zealand's borders are still closed to the controversial historian and holocaust denier David Irving, Deputy Prime Minister Michael Cullen has said. There have been suggestions that Irving may try to enter New Zealand next week. Irving wants to travel to New Zealand to speak about his controversial views, but will need ministerial permission to do so. The historian is not entitled to a visa as a British citizen because he has been deported from another country for an immigration offence. Cullen said nothing had changed the Government's mind. "He should get stopped before he gets on the plane given we have got advanced passenger clearance systems in place… He can say whatever he wants to. Nobody is going to stop him saying it... it's just not going to be here."
Irving has in the past threatened legal action to try to get a waiver in order to get a visa. Cullen, who is also a historian, has made it clear he is not impressed by Irving's theories on the holocaust or insinuations that the New Zealand Government was being manipulated by a small group of people. "Underlying that is that long historical paranoia about some notion there is some Jewish conspiracy to run European civilization. It is just vomit inducing," he said. Prime Minister Helen Clark told reporters that if Irving got to New Zealand, he would "meet a problem at the border".
