So this bill has been put before the house but hasn’t yet been voted on, National and Act have said they will support it but you can highlight to National MPs that you disapprove of this.
If you live in a National electorate (you can check your electorate here: https://vote.nz/maps/find-your-electorate) call up and say something to the effect that you are “disappointed National is wasting time and money on something frivolous like this while we’re in a cost of living crisis and that you’re going to have vote Labour if they go through with this”. You can Lie To Them, is this actually frivolous? No but you need to frame disapproval in terms they understand such as Voters Don’t Care About This And Won’t Vote For Me.
If there is enough disapproval from “their base” National may not support it and the bill dies at first vote.
If the Bill passes its first Reading it will go to select committee process, this is where public submissions can be made. The purpose of this bill is just to stoke culture war bullshit, not to actually do anything so submissions that engage with the culture war will be taken as proving the need for Winston's War On Woke.
I’ll link up an actual submission guide if/when it becomes necessary
Submission guide here: qtopia.org.nz/news/submission-guide-legislation-definition-of-woman-amp-man-amendment-bill
but something to keep in mind is what is the actual impact of this legislation? What will it do if it comes into force?
Answer: the practical effect of this Bill is changing the Legislation Act, i.e. makes the definition in there apply to (nearly) all other laws. However in the Crimes Act for example you see gender referred to in crimes like "male strikes female". The Crimes Act Covers this, the Family Violence Act also doesn't use "man" and "woman".
On an access to justice issue, when you add a new definition to every law, and especially when most of the laws already have their own context-specific definitions, the only effect is that it makes it easier for people to clog up the courts with arguments that go nowhere. This sort of law makes it easier for troublemakers to sue people they perceive as trans, which means that this clogs up the courts for other people.
It also means that any criminal case where gender is a factor will take longer and be more complex because of the possibility of bringing in these definitions. This is bad for victims, makes justice take longer, and is stupid because it wastes judges' and jurors' time.
Otherwise check to make sure you’re enrolled to vote! If you have the capacity get involved in an election campaign to turf these guys out
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