Source: MIL-OSI Submissions
Source: Speak Up For Women
WELLINGTON 6 OCTOBER 2020 – Yesterday the New Zealand Labour Party announced the “Rainbow Policies” they’ll be taking to the election. Despite professing to be “relentlessly proud” of their policies, the party neglected to announce a significant policy they’re reportedly intending to champion upon re-election – another attempt at embedding sex self-identification in New Zealand law via the Births, Deaths, Marriages, Relationships, Registration Bill.
Labour’s government failed to get this bill through parliament early in 2019 when it was revealed in a Crown Law Opinion that the bill was deeply flawed. However, at the policy launch event in Wellington last night, One News journalist Andrew MacFarlane confirmed with Rainbow Labour spokesperson Tamati Coffey that the party is intending to bring the bill back.
Women’s rights organisation Speak Up For Women successfully campaigned to have the bill halted based on the impact it would have on the rights of women and girls.
“It is extraordinary to see that Labour intend to try once again to ram through legislation that will erode the rights of half the population at the behest of activists,” says Speak Up For Women spokeswoman Ani O’Brien.
“Voters should know that a vote for Labour is a vote for sex self-identification – that is the ability to change the sex on your birth certificate online.”
While the organisation is disappointed that Labour continue to ignore the voices of women’s rights advocates on the issue of sex and gender, they say they are prepared to fight the legislation once more.
“We will not stop fighting this insidious erosion of our hard-won rights,” says Ms O’Brien.
About Speak Up For Women
Speak Up For Women formed in 2018 in opposition to the government’s sex self-ID proposals in the Births, Deaths, Marriages and Relationships Registration Bill. Speak Up For Women’s campaign platform – that there was inadequate public consultation, and the Bill risked unintended consequences for women’s sex-based rights – was ultimately accepted by Minister Martin after taking legal advice, and the proposal was withdrawn. Speak Up For Women is a diverse group of ordinary New Zealanders including teachers, academics, health professionals, care workers, activists, lawyers and students with a shared interest in the rights of women and girls.
Notes:
https://img.scoop.co.nz/media/pdfs/2010/Rainbow_policy_fact_sheet_.pdf
https://twitter.com/andrewmacfnz/status/1313000165687525377?s=20
https://twitter.com/andrewmacfnz/status/1313031768098828289?s=20
