ZB ZB
Opinion
Live now
Start time
Playing for
End time
Listen live
Listen to NAME OF STATION
Up next
Listen live on
ZB

Heather du Plessis-Allan: Why did Posie's opponents bother with the court case?

Author
Heather du Plessis-Allan ,
Publish Date
Fri, 24 Mar 2023, 4:43pm

Heather du Plessis-Allan: Why did Posie's opponents bother with the court case?

Author
Heather du Plessis-Allan ,
Publish Date
Fri, 24 Mar 2023, 4:43pm

So Posie Parker is on her way to NZ, due to land in about an hour’s time.

The court case to try to ban her failed this morning. 

The Judge said he had sympathy for the rainbow community, but courts are reluctant to weigh into whether a Minister like the Immigration Minister should or should not have used discretion to ban her, and so for technical reasons he dismissed the application.

Let me tell you... that will surprise just about no one.

Because I don’t think anyone actually expected a court to ban her. Just like we didn’t expect the Immigration Minister to ban her. Just like we didn’t expect the Immigration Department to ban her.

Because it’s a high bar to ban someone who has permission to come here.

She is a British citizen, and so she has visa free entry.

Which begs the question: why did her opponents do this? 

Why did they kick up this massive song and dance, and draw all this attention to trying to ban her when they must’ve known the chances were slim to nil? 

Every single opponent of hers who drew attention to themselves by calling for a ban should really reflect on what they’ve done. Because they introduced Posie Parker and her ideas to New Zealand.

Most of us had never heard of her at the start of the week, and now we do. Because of them.

There's nothing noble in what they did; which was to get publicity for themselves by trying to ban someone they knew they probably couldn’t ban.

If they didn’t want the Trans community to be hurt by the words that she says, why did they make sure we all heard the words? 

Take your Radio, Podcasts and Music with you