This is an excellent analysis Ani. Being captured by an ideology, as the HRC has so clearly been, obviously weakens the ability to reason soundly and make strong arguments. I'm happy you've posted this in Thought Crimes, but I confess to being vitally interested in the progress of the Definitions Bill. Also happy to think of it going to the MP's engaging with the Bill. Thank you Ani.
I'll call it what it is. An intellectually feeble and inept attempt at activism from a tax payer funded organisation that has been ideologically captured. Sadly I fear our bureaucracy is riddled with such.
The incoherence of the argument comes as no surprise. The whole trans ideology is an incoherent mangle of victim status seeking nonsense. None of it makes sense or stands scrutiny.
“Man and Woman appear in legislation, but we don’t want to define those terms, because reasons” (which is probably that they like the flexibility to apply whatever interpretation they prefer in whatever context.
Where have we seen this before? Oh - of course. “Principles of the Treaty” which ‘they’ also don’t want to have defined in law.
Ani, I just wanted to say how much I appreciated reading this analysis. Whether or not someone ultimately agrees with every conclusion, it's refreshing to see a submission examined through the lens of legal reasoning, logical consistency, and statutory interpretation rather than simply accepting assertions at face value.
What particularly stood out to me was the way you systematically identified where arguments relied on assumed conclusions, conflated distinct concepts, or substituted rhetoric for analysis. I found it thoughtful, well-structured, intellectually rigorous and a pleasure to read.
Please keep writing pieces like this on your Substack. Long-form analysis of this quality is becoming increasingly rare, and it's exactly the sort of content that encourages readers to think critically about complex public policy issues rather than simply choosing sides.
Goodluck Ani, maybe you should submit both in writing and in person.
From my exposure to your work I suspect you'll be a great advocate. We need more people like you standing up to institutionalized ideology.
Theres an abuse of taxpayers money by publicly funded organisations using our tax to promote ideology that often is at odds with the mandate given by the voters to the government.
The HRC is one such group - promoting ethnic division and privilege for Maori ( using a UN definition of indigenous people and assigning the rights that contradict HRC basic principles ) but then they refuse to protect the basic rights of Woman ( by refusing to adequately define a woman).
Ministers should either be able to fire staff in publicly funded positions that frustrate their policy or cut off their funding rendering the departments obsolete.
It's only way the " right" (both politically , morally ? and expediently) fight the enemy within. The left has taken over our media, judiciary our academia and our public service. Trump ( a flawed individual in many respects) understood this from his first term in office. Second time round he acted savagely to reform these institutions. We need a similar cultural revolution in NZ. Unfortunately the National Party sit to the left of the democrats and still echo Findlaysons and Keys views on Maorification. Maybe Luxon will surprise and if given a second chance will do what National promised to do in its first term.
Ani have you read the Yogyakarta Principles? In order to understand what the HRC are doing, we need to understand the history of, and definitions within the Yogyakarta Principles. We need to read their definitions of sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression and sex characteristics. I have been raising awareness about this for a while now including when I presented at the NZFirst convention last year. Lesbian Resistance has written about them on their Substack. It has a long history. It threads back to the transhumanism goal. It’s more than ‘just’ denying women their rights. Much more. Importantly, their definition of ‘gender identity’ is important to them because there is no legal definition of ‘transgender’ (even the UN states this) and so they want to replace ‘sex’ with ‘gender’ and put ‘gender identity’ in law everywhere. Watch this: https://youtu.be/bCOoAjp-fKo?si=0gvqY4U_ftXH_b3p
Socialists in drag. Time for a public survey to address if a majority of NZers still have confidence in the HRC. If not time for a cleanout or better still just scrap the HRC - or merge all the social rights commissions into one to at least reduce the waste
Ouch! HRC gets a justified spanking, to boot. Nice work, Ani, thank you. Too often the underlying ideological bias of proposed legislation goes unconsidered before, once passed, infecting the whole system. Our whole legislative framework needs to be stripped to the bone to remove these infectious ideological and rhetorical subversions, to free us from this malign bureaucratic meddling. And while we're at it, we need to remove those insurgents within our bureaucracy who are working for their own ends, or those of their masters. But step by step, and with logically irrefutable submissions like this, New Zealanders will reclaim their right to think for themselves. I look forward to developments. Respect.
Ani, I am interested in this kind of your writing...and that kind of your writing....and any kind of your writing....because Ani as Tina Turner says..You are Simply The Best.
At my age now I love having you expressing my and many others thoughts in such intellectually laid-out prose of which I wish I had such capabilities. Keep on Keeping on.
Excellent piece. Their ‘failure to discharge the role Parliament has entrusted to it’ has been clear since Covid - I emailed them about our right to informed consent which by definition cannot be coerced, they replied something along the lines of ‘with rights come duties, everything is fine’
I have emailed and called this organization for approximately 5/ 6 years.
Initially I was ignored, then fobbed off onto other inept government departments.
Then, when the current government were in,they actually started listening, but we're still saying they could not address the abuse of my neurodiverse children.
Really?
Well, what are you here for Human Rights?
Protecting immigrants, pedophilles, and 'child groomer rainbow people' is what I can understand from their website, which advises us to contact them when breaches of human rights occur.
What a crock of shiite this organization is?
It obviously picks and chooses who it helps depending on how 'rainbow' loving one is.
Its much like attempting to complain about our ever more dodgy Police Force and the ever corrupt Oranga Tamariki.
What is the point of these organizations if they FAIL to assist the New Zealand 🇳🇿 citizens?
It's a waste of time and energy as unless you are 'full - blown' wooke as hell, they shut you down and ignore you.
This is an excellent analysis Ani. Being captured by an ideology, as the HRC has so clearly been, obviously weakens the ability to reason soundly and make strong arguments. I'm happy you've posted this in Thought Crimes, but I confess to being vitally interested in the progress of the Definitions Bill. Also happy to think of it going to the MP's engaging with the Bill. Thank you Ani.
You have the patience of a saint Ani.
I'll call it what it is. An intellectually feeble and inept attempt at activism from a tax payer funded organisation that has been ideologically captured. Sadly I fear our bureaucracy is riddled with such.
The incoherence of the argument comes as no surprise. The whole trans ideology is an incoherent mangle of victim status seeking nonsense. None of it makes sense or stands scrutiny.
From the HRC submission:
"There's no need to define ‘man’ and ‘woman’ in the law because the law already works well using the usual meaning of those words".
Hmmm, define "usual"!?
In trying to resolve the issue with this statement, all the HRC are actually doing (rather successfully) is re-articulating the problem itself.
“Man and Woman appear in legislation, but we don’t want to define those terms, because reasons” (which is probably that they like the flexibility to apply whatever interpretation they prefer in whatever context.
Where have we seen this before? Oh - of course. “Principles of the Treaty” which ‘they’ also don’t want to have defined in law.
As always, a brilliant and objective analysis. Ani O’Brien should be read and/or listened to by every New Zealander.
I am very interested in this kind of writing. I appreciate your analysis and agree with your reasoning.
Ani, I just wanted to say how much I appreciated reading this analysis. Whether or not someone ultimately agrees with every conclusion, it's refreshing to see a submission examined through the lens of legal reasoning, logical consistency, and statutory interpretation rather than simply accepting assertions at face value.
What particularly stood out to me was the way you systematically identified where arguments relied on assumed conclusions, conflated distinct concepts, or substituted rhetoric for analysis. I found it thoughtful, well-structured, intellectually rigorous and a pleasure to read.
Please keep writing pieces like this on your Substack. Long-form analysis of this quality is becoming increasingly rare, and it's exactly the sort of content that encourages readers to think critically about complex public policy issues rather than simply choosing sides.
Goodluck Ani, maybe you should submit both in writing and in person.
From my exposure to your work I suspect you'll be a great advocate. We need more people like you standing up to institutionalized ideology.
Theres an abuse of taxpayers money by publicly funded organisations using our tax to promote ideology that often is at odds with the mandate given by the voters to the government.
The HRC is one such group - promoting ethnic division and privilege for Maori ( using a UN definition of indigenous people and assigning the rights that contradict HRC basic principles ) but then they refuse to protect the basic rights of Woman ( by refusing to adequately define a woman).
Ministers should either be able to fire staff in publicly funded positions that frustrate their policy or cut off their funding rendering the departments obsolete.
It's only way the " right" (both politically , morally ? and expediently) fight the enemy within. The left has taken over our media, judiciary our academia and our public service. Trump ( a flawed individual in many respects) understood this from his first term in office. Second time round he acted savagely to reform these institutions. We need a similar cultural revolution in NZ. Unfortunately the National Party sit to the left of the democrats and still echo Findlaysons and Keys views on Maorification. Maybe Luxon will surprise and if given a second chance will do what National promised to do in its first term.
Send it to the MP's Ani. They will need all the help they can get.
Your depth of assessment, is worth more than the HRC, woke captured bureaucray.
Ani have you read the Yogyakarta Principles? In order to understand what the HRC are doing, we need to understand the history of, and definitions within the Yogyakarta Principles. We need to read their definitions of sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression and sex characteristics. I have been raising awareness about this for a while now including when I presented at the NZFirst convention last year. Lesbian Resistance has written about them on their Substack. It has a long history. It threads back to the transhumanism goal. It’s more than ‘just’ denying women their rights. Much more. Importantly, their definition of ‘gender identity’ is important to them because there is no legal definition of ‘transgender’ (even the UN states this) and so they want to replace ‘sex’ with ‘gender’ and put ‘gender identity’ in law everywhere. Watch this: https://youtu.be/bCOoAjp-fKo?si=0gvqY4U_ftXH_b3p
Socialists in drag. Time for a public survey to address if a majority of NZers still have confidence in the HRC. If not time for a cleanout or better still just scrap the HRC - or merge all the social rights commissions into one to at least reduce the waste
Ouch! HRC gets a justified spanking, to boot. Nice work, Ani, thank you. Too often the underlying ideological bias of proposed legislation goes unconsidered before, once passed, infecting the whole system. Our whole legislative framework needs to be stripped to the bone to remove these infectious ideological and rhetorical subversions, to free us from this malign bureaucratic meddling. And while we're at it, we need to remove those insurgents within our bureaucracy who are working for their own ends, or those of their masters. But step by step, and with logically irrefutable submissions like this, New Zealanders will reclaim their right to think for themselves. I look forward to developments. Respect.
I am very supportive of this article Ani. Well argued.
Ani, I am interested in this kind of your writing...and that kind of your writing....and any kind of your writing....because Ani as Tina Turner says..You are Simply The Best.
At my age now I love having you expressing my and many others thoughts in such intellectually laid-out prose of which I wish I had such capabilities. Keep on Keeping on.
“Analytically vapid “… nice summary of this nonsense…. Pretty much sums up everything from the grievance industry….
Excellent piece. Their ‘failure to discharge the role Parliament has entrusted to it’ has been clear since Covid - I emailed them about our right to informed consent which by definition cannot be coerced, they replied something along the lines of ‘with rights come duties, everything is fine’
I have emailed and called this organization for approximately 5/ 6 years.
Initially I was ignored, then fobbed off onto other inept government departments.
Then, when the current government were in,they actually started listening, but we're still saying they could not address the abuse of my neurodiverse children.
Really?
Well, what are you here for Human Rights?
Protecting immigrants, pedophilles, and 'child groomer rainbow people' is what I can understand from their website, which advises us to contact them when breaches of human rights occur.
What a crock of shiite this organization is?
It obviously picks and chooses who it helps depending on how 'rainbow' loving one is.
Its much like attempting to complain about our ever more dodgy Police Force and the ever corrupt Oranga Tamariki.
What is the point of these organizations if they FAIL to assist the New Zealand 🇳🇿 citizens?
It's a waste of time and energy as unless you are 'full - blown' wooke as hell, they shut you down and ignore you.