NZ First wants to clarify the meaning of 'woman' and 'man' in legislation
New Zealand First wants to clarify the definition of a woman and a man in law, introducing a Member’s Bill to ensure “our country moves away from the woke ideology that has crept in over the last few years”.
The move follows the UK Supreme Court ruling last week that the term “women” as referred to in the British Equality Act refers only to biological women. It’s also the latest in a series of legislative proposals from NZ First in its so-called “war on woke”.
The party wants to see “women” defined in law as an “adult human biological female” and “man” defined as an “adult human biological male”.
“The purpose of this amendment is to uphold legal certainty, protect the integrity of sex-based rights and ensure that language in law reflects biological reality,” an explanatory note within the legislation says.
“This definition will apply in all contexts where the terms ‘woman’ and ‘man’ are used, unless explicitly stated otherwise in specific legislation.”
The legislation is a Member’s Bill in the name of NZ First MP Jenny Marcroft. That means it’s not a Government bill and will need to be pulled from Parliament’s ballot before it’s debated and voted on.
Marcroft currently has a bill in the ballot to require local authorities to have a binding referendum when deciding whether to add fluoride to drinking water. MPs can only have one bill in Parliament’s ballot at a time and NZ First confirmed that bill would be swapped out for her new one.
NZ First leader Winston Peters said the legislation was “not about being anti-anyone or anti-anything” but “about ensuring we as a country focus on the facts of biology and protect the term ‘woman’ in law”.
“New Zealand First is the only party that campaigned on keeping men out of women’s sports, keeping men out of women’s and girl’s changing rooms, and we have received two petitions this term calling for protecting the term ‘woman’ in legislation.
“We were told at the time that we were going down a ‘rabbit hole’ and ‘on another planet’. But if you look at recent events, both internationally and in New Zealand, the pendulum is swinging back towards common sense and is proving us right.”
He said this would “ensure our country moves away from the woke ideology that has crept in over the last few years, undermining the protection, progression and safety of women”.
The Herald has sought reaction from Women’s Minister Nicola Grigg to last week’s ruling in the UK and whether she agreed with the definition it has put forward.
Labour leader Chris Hipkins said NZ First was just looking for populist causes.
“At a time when New Zealanders are struggling with the cost of living, more New Zealanders are losing their jobs by the day, the health system is descending further into crisis, we have more people living rough on the streets because they are homeless, I don’t think this is a priority.”
Greens co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick also said there were other issues to focus on, such as the cost of living and climate change, and NZ First’s proposal was intended to “distract” people from these challenges.
The Act Party said it believed in both free expression and “biological reality”.
“These values can sometimes be in tension, but when rights conflict, the role of the state is to draw clear lines that protect everyone’s freedom.
“People are free to present themselves however they like in a free society. But the right to self-expression does not override the rights of others, especially when it comes to women’s privacy, safety, and fairness.
“For example, biological women should not be forced to share public bathrooms, changing rooms, or prisons with men.
“For the sake of public services and legal clarity, the law should reflect the reality that sex is biological and binary. Any shift in focus towards self-declared gender risks confusion, conflict, and undermines hard-won sex-based rights.”
In 2020, the Ministry for Women said it defined “women” as “people who identify as women”.
“This definition is inclusive of transgender women,” it said.
The ministry’s website said it “represents the interests of all women, including transgender women, and we recognise the right of all people to self-identify”.
“We acknowledge the diversity of women and girls in Aotearoa New Zealand and focus on improving outcomes for wāhine Māori, Pacific women, migrant women, women who are former refugees, women with disabilities and the rainbow community.”
Last month, NZ First MP and Associate Health Minister Casey Costello directed Health New Zealand Te Whatu Ora to use the term “women” instead of “pregnant people” in communications.
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said he supported having “common-sense language” and believed most people would consider pregnant people are women.
NZ First has introduced several pieces of legislation intended to counter “woke” elements of society, including a bill to remove diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) aspects from the public service.
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Poll: If we want to reduce speeding, what do you think actually changes driver behaviour? 🛻🚨🚓
In the Post's article on speeding penalties, the question is asked whether speeding fines are truly about road safety, or are they just a way to boost revenue for the Crown?
What do you think? Should speeding motorists receive speeding fines or demerit points?
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36.7% The sting of a fine (Money talks!)
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63.3% The threat of demerit points (Nobody wants to lose their license!)
🎉 Riddle me this, legends! 🎉
He/She who makes it, sells it.
He/She who buys it, doesn't use it.
The user doesn't know they are using it.
What is it?
(Shezz from Ngāruawāhia kindly provided this head-scratcher ... thanks, Shezz!)
Do you think you know the answer? Simply 'Like' this post if you know the answer and the big reveal will be posted in the comments at 2pm on the day!
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Head here and hover on the Following button on the top right of the page (and it will show Unfollow) and then click it. If it is giving you the option to Follow, then you've successfully unfollowed the Riddles page.
The Bible Declares That God is Bringing Jews Back To Their Ancient Land of Israel
The Bible reveals that God has chosen and cherished one specific people and one specific land to serve as the stage for revealing His plan and purpose to all nations. As we read in Deuteronomy chapter 7, verse six, speaking of the Jews: “The Lord thy God hath chosen thee to be a special people unto himself, above all people that are upon the face of the earth.”
God’s ultimate purpose is to transform the world by establishing His Divine Rule in His new Kingdom based in Jerusalem. This will occur when Jesus Christ returns as King during a time of great trouble. At that moment, God will intervene to save first the Jewish people from destruction and gather them from all parts of the earth. Upon Christ’s return, God will put out a Call to be universally honoured, and a lasting peace will finally be established throughout the World. This has been his design from Creation which was told to the Fathers of Isreal first and then to the rest of the World by the teaching of Jesus and then his disciples in the New Testament.
**Exile and the Promise of Return**
Today, the Jewish people have often been cursed and despised among the nations. However, the prophets foretold that when Jesus returns, God will settle them in the land of Israel in security and safety. The historical rejection and crucifixion of their Messiah resulted in their greatest exile from the land, a dispersion that has lasted for approximately two thousand years.
Yet, in direct fulfilment of Old Testament prophecies, God is now regathering the Jews to their ancestral homeland. As the prophet Isaiah declares, “For the Lord will have mercy upon Jacob, and will yet choose Israel, and set them in their own land” (Isaiah 14:1). While Israel was scattered by God due to their failure to live obediently as His chosen nation, God promised He would never utterly forsake them. The prophet Ezekiel confirms this, stating,
“Behold, I will take the children of Israel from among the heathen, whither they be gone, and will gather them on every side, and bring them into their own land” (Ezekiel 37:21).
**Fulfilment: The Modern State of Israel**
The promise of God to bring His people back to the land is proven and demonstrated by the establishment of the modern State of Israel in 1948. The Word of God declared,
“I will bring again the captivity of my people Israel and Judah, saith the Lord, and I will cause them to return to the land” (Jeremiah 30:3).
Since 1948, we have witnessed Jews returning from all over the world to occupy the ancient land that was promised to the fathers of the nation: Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. This movement fulfils the words of Ezekiel:
“For I will take you from among the heathen, and gather you out of all countries, and will bring you into your own land” (Ezekiel 36:24).
The undeniable return of the Jews to the land of Israel demonstrates that God is sovereignly guiding their destiny. Because we see these specific prophecies fulfilled, we can be assured that those prophecies yet to be fulfilled will also come to pass.
**God’s Unseen Hand in the Regathering**
The regathering of the Jews to the land of Israel is fundamentally the work of Almighty God in our time. It is not simply a political movement driven by the desire of the Jewish people to establish a nation and homeland. Rather, God’s unseen hand is behind the events that have led to the revival of the nation of Israel.
The Bible emphasises God’s personal involvement in this return through numerous passages:
- “Behold, I will save my people... and I will bring them, and they shall dwell in the midst of Jerusalem” (Zechariah 8:7-8).
- “I will save thee from afar, and thy seed from the land of their captivity; and Jacob shall return” (Jeremiah 30:10).
- “I will bring again the captivity of my people Israel, and they shall build the waste cities” (Amos 9:14).
- “I will surely assemble, O Jacob, all of thee; I will surely gather the remnant of Israel” (Micah 2:12).
**Conclusion: A Sign of Christ’s Return**
God is regathering Israel today. The very existence of the modern State of Israel is a clear and powerful sign that Almighty God is working amongst the nations. The Bible states that He “shall assemble the outcasts of Israel, and gather together the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth” (Isaiah 11:12). This prophetic work is underway.
Israel sees their return as prophetical, but few understand that God will create events where first they will eventually be humbled by her neighbours before Christ returns as their Saviour. Read Ezekiel 38 & 39 to gain an incite as to what God's destiny fot Israel is.
We have seen for the last 125 years, the call for their return to their Homeland and its subsequent founding. This is God's reassurance to the World that He'll bring the World under His Blessing. Because of this, we can be confident that Jesus Christ will soon return to this earth to establish the Kingdom of God, a time of peace and plenty for every nation.
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