David Farrar: Green Councillor tries to get conference banned

The Post reports:

Te Papa has not yet decided whether to cancel an event described as “hostile to trans people”, but the organiser believes the event is going ahead.

The group, Inflection Point NZ, is holding an event on Saturday at Wellington’s Tākina conference centre that it’s describing as a “summit” to stop the Government “gender indoctrination and medicalisation of our children”.

 

After a meeting with Tākina manager Andrew Dorrington this afternoon, event organiser Rhys Williams said he was “very confident” the event would be going ahead.

The group would 100% have taken Tākina to court if the event was called off. “And I think Tākina took that on board,” Williams said.

A spokesperson for Te Papa, which runs Tākina bookings, said nothing had changed since the meeting and cancellation was still possible.

“We are aware a protest is planned against the event, because of concerns that its content and speakers are hostile to trans people.

“We are actively monitoring the situation and reviewing the health and safety and security arrangements to assess whether the event can occur safely.”

Jonathan Ayling, the leader of the Free Speech Union, said he had attended this afternoon’s meeting to remind Tākina of their duties under the law. “We have received a commitment from them that the event will proceed.”

Inflection Point NZ describes itself as a “group for middle NZ that has become ‘the oppressed majority’”. It sees itself as countering “radical progressivism, amplifying the voice, principles and liberty at NZ’s core”.

Speakers include Brian Tamaki, whose Destiny Church members painted over rainbow crossings in Auckland and Gisborne, as well as Bob McCroskie from Family First, journalist Jennifer Bilek and Ro Edge from Save Women’s Sport Australasia.

Wellington City councillor Nīkau Wi Neera became aware of the booking on Monday for the council-owned Tākina centre and posted on social media that he had spent the day trying to “shut it down if we possibly can”.

So a Green City Councillor is trying to use his position to shut down a conference, because he doesn’t agree with them.

The ironic thing is that this attempt to close down the conference will probably lead to a huge boost in profile and attendance for it.

David Farrar runs Curia Market Research, a specialist opinion polling and research agency, and the popular Kiwiblog where this article was sourced. He previously worked in the Parliament for eight years, serving two National Party Prime Ministers and three Opposition Leaders.