The Green Party says the government should ban British anti-transgender activist Kellie-Jay Keen-Minshull, also known as Posie Parker, from coming to New Zealand this week.
They say her visit poses safety concerns after clashes between her supporters and LGBT counter-protestors erupted into violence outside of the Victorian Parliament last week.
Co-leader Marama Davidson says, “This is about not allowing kōrero that is going to promote more hatred and more bigotry and racism toward our people and it’s not welcome here. We should be making a really clear stand.”
Keen-Minshull has plans to speak in Auckland and Wellington this weekend as part of the Let Women Speak tour. Wellington city councillor and Wellington Central candidate Tamatha Paul says the council will not tolerate hate speech.
"There's no place in Pōneke for hate speech that this person is wanting to espouse. We're talking about a person who wants to stand up on their soapbox and spread hatred in our community for members of our community. And I have absolutely no patience or tolerance for that kind of hatred," Paul said.
"After the recent loss of the first-ever transgender MP in the world Georgina Beyer, the Greens say it would be an absolute disgrace to Beyer's legacy if the Government allowed this sort of influencer to come here."
Davidson also says, “It's an extra violent takahī that only a small time since we lost our rangatira, Georgina. And it’s a takahī to her mana and her vision, and leadership to even consider letting the hateful kōrero here.”
Paul also says, “Trans people are overrepresented in all of the worst statistics and that’s because of the discrimination that they already face without people like this coming in and in sighting more fear, more hatred. We don’t need that!"
Keen-Minshull has since challenged and addressed Prime Minister Chris Hipkins in a statement saying: "Revoke my visa at your peril."
An official decision on this issue has not yet been announced.