This attempt to criminalize free speech is a response to the white supremacist atrocity committed by an Australian in Christchurch.
Some would argue that event was squarely on the shoulders of the $200million+ per year Intelligence Apparatus who are tasked with ensuring these types of mass violence events do not occur.
Criminalizing the misuse of pronouns and a blasphemy law is not a serious response to the Christchurch terrorist attack.
Everyone deserves the same agency and protection in a liberal progressive democracy, but criminalizing speech won’t do that.
It will instead open a tsunami of complaints to the Police, the process of investigation of which will instigate a chilling effect on free speech that is simply too oppressive in a democracy.
The protection of minorities in a democratic society is far better provided by strengthening anti-discrimination laws and anti-harassment laws.
I agree with the expanded groups that can’t be discriminated against and urge an increase in funding to the HRC to be able to facilitate, educate and where necessary punish those discrimination cases that can’t be resolved.
Anti-harassment laws already exist and need to be beefed up and implemented more alongside better education to ensure New Zealanders know their rights and the remedies for solutions that are open to them.
To criminalize speech and allow the Police to define hate for a crime punishable by 3 years is an Orwellian disaster waiting to happen.
We have obligations to ensure people are not discriminated against and or harassed, but to give the police the power to define hate speech is a terrible response to a white supremacists terror attack and will do little to prevent the next one.
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Well said
Nice one.
Except the giving more money to the HRC – they actively pushed for these laws and asked it be done in secret.
Remake the HRC or shut it down.
Human rights are everybody’s, they are not for taking from some to give to others.
Yep. The theoretically good thing about this is that submissions are being made to the Ministry of Justice, and not to the Human Rights Commission : any quasi- govt body trying to push through laws or regulations in secret, has to be regarded as acting contrary to fairly basic human rights, and contrary to the current govt’s declared policy of acting with transparency.
100% correct Martyn but you are the wrong ‘type’ of person. They won’t listen to your ‘type’.
i don’t think they care one bit what anyone thinks.
They care what UMR tell them, that’s the feedback that counts.
Good response, hopefully someone points out what has happened in the UK with similar laws, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hate_speech_laws_in_the_United_Kingdom aka more division and terror attack and bogus investigations and trials making a mockery of the police.
Already started in NZ…
NZ police telling preachers they are hate speakers…
https://www.tiktok.com/@jesuspreachingnz/video/6986750398782622977?is_copy_url=1&is_from_webapp=v1
The current cancel culture and division will be far greater if disagreement is now criminal.
NZ is already having a scary cancel culture with cringe worthy virtue signalling in our obsessive individualist world, where power of others including what they think and say is out of control.
Power gone mad, bullying of other groups rights to speak like feminists
Lower Hutt’s Mayor has apologised after saying controversial group Speak Up For Women could hold one of their events in a council waste bin.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/speak-up-for-women-controversy-billboard-removed-mayor-apologises/CGUGDIAATDU3CCE56TUMCMJOQM/
Time wasting
I guess renaming everything can easily take up another decade of destruction while the planet burns and politicians in NZ discuss the racism and micro aggressive slurs and corporations…
The latest target is the humble Afghan which one biscuit company has already renamed Chocolate Rough and a Christchurch café has now started calling a “1908”. 1908 was the year Edmonds Cookery Book was published but I consider that a pretty tenuous link.”
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/hawkes-bay-today/news/wyn-drabble-humble-biscuit-renamed/GZD63C6SWUEWVFNMIJHMTWIGUQ/?&ref=topbox
Employment
Terry July 14, 2021 at 3:55 pm https://thedailyblog.co.nz/2021/07/14/groan-why-the-latest-trans-vs-feminist-billbard-censorship-fiasco-hurts-labours-hate-speech-aspirations/
So I’m now the subject of someones complaint to HR. My team had a brief discussion about adding pronouns to our email signature. I added that it wasn’t for me. One of the children (new graduate, in her first adult job ) took me up on it, then asked me if I believed that trans woman were real women. I said that I wouldn’t answer that question & it was not appropriate in my work place. She said that she took it that I didn’t believe that trans women were women. I was told that she would complain to HR and has accused me of hate speech. HR have advised me that they have received a complaint of serious misconduct…
Political football
Winston enters the crowded Cancel Culture backlash market & Vance’s latest column
https://thedailyblog.co.nz/2021/06/21/winston-enters-the-crowded-cancel-culture-backlash-market/
Let us be honest here, the Police moved the preachers sending a message about how God hates Gays and only through Jesus they will be saved… the Police probably saved those preachers from a beating dished out by a six foot tall drag queen. Only a moron would attempt that on K rd.
Replace “anyone” with “Sabine.” There, fixed it.
sadly no, i am not in the Labour government.
so while i care, i can’t help anyone who would like this abomination of a law to be stopped.
have lovely and blessed day dear.
You’re so obviously correct (and your view is shared right across the political spectrum) that one just has to wonder what is going on in the head of these fools in the cabinet, and who’s advice they are taking.
It beggars belief!
It is really good that you were able to get that sent off to them.
At least they cannot say that “no one spoke up against it”.
Thank you (on behalf of many of us) .
Thank you Martyn you stated it so well.
You miss the fact that the inclusion of transgender as a protected group is not what it seems. Hate speech combined with Sex self-ID, and equating gay conversion with gender conversion, is homophobic and misogynist, protecting gender identity over same-sex orientation.
All this gender bending law does is criminalize straight couples, that I can grant. What is not given is the fact that puberty blockers like every other gender bender medication requires monitoring by specialsts with the expressed consent of the legal Gaurdian. While straight couples may be the target of this what ever bill the fact remains that monitoring and consent is a far more objective argument.
Say what? You’ve got all the buzzwords but I still don’t understand it.
Me neither.
The Nation’s Simon Shepherd went full hate speechy today not only attributing the hack of the junk Microsoft server to the Chinese but calling it an act of war against New Zealand (nothing on Israeli’s Pegasus or America’s full take via Apple devices of course). His courtier Andrew Little agreed wholeheartedly. Expect these guys to release their manifesto online soon.
Well said! It seems to be (dare I say it) some sort crusade for Jacinda at this point, so it will likely fall on deaf ears.
Martyn
Sadly they are not interested in your very excellent submission. It’s already a done deal….you know how they work. It’s sick.
Well said, thank you.
Bomber not only are you pointing out how dangerous this proposed legislation is but you are telling them what would have been a very sensible approach and that is tightening the current anti discrimination and anti harassment laws.
” Some would argue that event was squarely on the shoulders of the $200million+ per year Intelligence Apparatus who are tasked with ensuring these types of mass violence events do not occur ”
The other important factor that has been overlooked is the failure of the surveillance agencies which were financed and empowered under Key’s government to satisfy the Americans and those in his own cabal and in no way did this prevent the build up to March 15th.
This is where they will use their majority to pass this atrocious legislation through parliament yet not intervene to assist the many economic neo liberal refugees and their families.
It is pretty depressing when you have to rely on Winston to be the handbrake because the Social Democrats can’t see how insane this all is. Winston is a corrupt as the rest of them and was quite rightly booted out along with his mate Jones and Tracey Martin was the only NZF MP who is sorely missed.
I have come to the conclusion that the members of this parliament will never undertake the reforms you and others advocate on this blog and community groups who are at the coal face of the crippling poverty and misery suffered by many of our people.
I will always vote but it wont be for any of the current parties or MPs in parliament. Social Credit as an example seem to have some great ideas and a different approach and is worth looking at along with some of the small parties out there. No one currently represents my view or will take action on the serious humanitarian disaster out here in the real world that everyone pays lip service to but are untouched by the cruelty of neo liberal economic policies and are far to comfortable to ever understand the misery and destruction of poverty.
But i digress Bomber well done and i only wish there was the money to run this letter in all media publications to assist with the opposition to this piece of lunacy.
Well said Martyn.
Andrew’s post says it all.
It’s the internet that’s the problem, it’s too easy to post hateful shit, it’s too easy to see it and it’s too easy for those posting it to block any criticism in return.
I DO think it needs dealing with online.
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