'I'm not interested in anything Brian Tamaki says' - Prime Minister

The Prime Minister says he's not interested in anything Brian Tamaki says, after the Destiny Church leader said Hindus, Sikhs and Muslims should be purged from New Zealand.

"I just don't listen to Brian Tamaki, for God's sake," Christopher Luxon said.

Tamaki made the comments on social media last week, which have since been dismissed and condemned by the Minister for Ethnic Communities and the Federation of the Islamic Associations of New Zealand.

Luxon said on Monday that ethnic communities who come to New Zealand have left everything behind, and "they work damn hard", often working multiple jobs.

"Our ethnic communities have come to this country, have left everything behind, their language, their family, their communities."

Luxon said he was a "huge supporter and admirer of our migrant Kiwis".

"They've chosen to come here because they think they can build a better future, so frankly, I'm not interested in anything Brian Tamaki says."

Some of Tamaki's comments had been in relation to the India Free Trade agreement. Luxon said Tamaki "absolutely" didn't have anything useful to contribute to that debate.

Luxon said he didn't take offence from people he didn't take advice from.

Labour leader Chris Hipkins was asked if the prime minister had taken the right stance on Tamaki.

"Yeah, by and large," he said.

"I think Brian Tamaki's a thug and I don't intend to spend any more time giving him any more oxygen than - he just doesn't deserve it."

Question is whether legal threshold has been met - Free Speech Union

The Free Speech Union has also weighed in, rejecting Tamaki's comments, but cautioned against responding to "offensive speech" by demanding greater censorship powers.

CEO Jillaine Heather said the remarks were "divisive and inflammatory and run contrary to the principles of a free and pluralistic society".

Heather said free speech wasn't "absolute" in New Zealand.

"If comments amount to incitement, threats, or encouragement of criminal offending, existing criminal law may become relevant.

"The question is whether the legal threshold has been met, not whether the views expressed are unpopular or offensive."