UPDATED 12.33pm An unlikely alliance has formed as 27 high-profile New Zealanders have inked an open letter to fight for free speech at universities.

It's a list that transcends the left and right of politics being signed by the likes of Don Brash, Sir Geoffrey Palmer, Dame Tariana Turia and Winnie Laban.

Their letter says the right to express opinions must be protected - even if they're offensive or immoral.

The letter was in response to Human Rights Commissioner Dame Susan Devoy's call for a review of "hate speech" law. Police are suggesting it be looked at as a specific crime.

AUT professor Paul Moon told Newstalk ZB free speech can't be forcefully silenced.

"...if you're expressing a genuinely-held opinion and then someone labels you as being guilty of hate speech, that's a tag that's applied to you. It can affect employment. It can affect social situations. All sorts of circumstances.

"It's a horrible accusation and I don't think it's in the best interest of anyone in the country to go around looking for examples of so-called hate speech . There are plenty of things that offend me but I think I'm grown up enough to deal with that."

Professor Moon said the letter has solid backing.

"People of different ethnic groups, different cultures. We have different political views there, people from Don Brash on the one hand to Dame Tariana Turia on the other. A real broad spectrum of New Zealanders."

Dr Brash said people call him racist, and they should be free to do just that.

 

He said an essential element of western enlightenment is that we're free to say what we like, provided we don't advocate physical violence to anybody.

"People have called me, for example, racist recently because I've been involved in the Hobson's Pledge Trust. I think they should be absolutely free to do that and I should be free to say that Hone Harawira is racist, and as long as I don't threaten him with any violence, I think that's legitimate."

The letter says the "freedom of speech underpins our way of life in New Zealand as a liberal democracy." 

"It enables religious observance, individual development, societal change, science, reason and progress in all spheres of life. In particular, the free exchange of ideas is a cornerstone of acadme.

"Universities play a fundamental role in the thought leadership of a society. They, of all places, should be institutions where robust debate and the free exchange of ideas take place, not the forceful silencing of dissenting or unpopular views.

"We must ensure that our higher learning establishments are places where intellectual rigour prevails over emotional blackmail and where academic freedom, built on free expression, is maintained and protected. 

"We must fight for each other’s right to express opinions, even if we do not agree with them."

Tertiary Education Minister Paul Goldsmith doesn't believe there's an issue around the freedom of speech at universities.

 

He said while it's topical in US and UK - it's not so much an issue here.

"I haven't had a sense that people in New Zealand universities on the whole, don't feel as though they are able to express themselves properly but it's something we should watch carefully."

 

The full list of signatories are: 

Assoc Prof Len Bell 
Dr Don Brash
Dr David Cumin
Sir Toby Curtis, KNZM
Dr Brian Edwards, CNZM
Graeme Edwards
Dr Gavin Ellis
Sir Michael Friedlander, KNZM
Alan Gibbs
Dame Jenny Gibbs, DNZM
Bryan Gould, CNZM
Wally Hirsh, OBE
Prof Manying Ip, ONZM
Sir Bob Jones, Kt
Prof Pare Keiha, QSO
Assoc Prof Hon Luamanuvao
Winnie Laban, QSO
Dame Lesley Max, DNZM MBE
Gordon McLauchlan
Prof Paul Moon
Sir Douglas Myers, KNZM CBE
Assoc Prof Camille Nakhid
Sir Geoffrey Palmer, KCMG AC QC
Prof Edwina Pio
David Rankin
Philip Temple, ONZM
Dame Tariana Turia, DNZM
Prof Albert Wendt, ONZ CNZM