Photo: NZ HeraldAbout 800 New Zealanders who had booked to hear Muslim critic Ayaan Hirsi Ali will get refunds after she cancelled her visit at the last minute. People who bought tickets at Ticketmaster outlets, or with cards that have expired, will need to go back to the same outlets or contact Ticketmaster. Act Party leader David Seymour, who bought tickets to the Takapuna event, said he was "deeply saddened" that the tour had been cancelled. "The Prime Minister should reach out to Ayaan Hirsi Ali and assure her that whatever has been threatened in Australia, in New Zealand we're proud to have a free society where we battle with ideas, not threats of violence." Hirsi Ali told Andrew Dickens on NewstalkZB last month that she could "understand the reasoning" of President Donald Trump's executive order banning people from seven majority-Muslim countries from entering the United States.

Source: Otago Daily Times April 04, 2017 04:30 UTC