In response to a media release on our website concerning Labour Deputy Leader Jacinda Ardern sent to Chris Hipkins (pictured), the Labour Party MP for Rimutaka.
Hipkins sent us this reply:
Please take me off your email list. I don’t need to see your hate-filled propaganda.
Right to Life sent Mr Hipkins the following letter in response;
Dear Mr Hipkins,
Hate Speech
I am responding to your communication of 29th April. you advise;” Please take me off your email list. I don’t need to see your hate-filled propaganda.
It is a sad day when truth becomes the enemy and is denigrated as hate speech and propaganda.
It is disappointing when a Member of our Parliament seeks to silence an organisation from exercising its right to freedom of speech which is protected under the United Nations Declaration of Human Rights, the New Zealand Bill of Rights and the Human Rights Act.
Your accusation that Right to Life’s recent media release was “hate filled propaganda” is untrue, deeply offensive and libellous. The Oxford Dictionary describes hate speech as:
“Abusive or threatening speech or writing that expresses prejudice against a particular group, especially on the basis of race, religion, or sexual orientation.”
I request that you specify the specific statements made in our Society’s carefully worded media release that come under the definition of hate speech.
Right to Life is committed to upholding the inalienable right to life of every human being from conception to natural death and defending the natural family that is exclusively one woman and one man the source of our future citizens and the foundation of a healthy society.
Thank you for all that you are doing to promote the common good.
Yours sincerely
Ken Orr
Secretary,
Right to Life
I hate to say this, but part of the problem with perceptions of pro-lifers on the left is that we are partisan and sectarian. To be honest, focusing on irrelevant tangential issues like homosexuality and transgenderism are a recipe for alienation of centre-left politicians and voters alike. Added to which, the New Zealand pro-life movement is also sometimes seen as being in :”American captivity’- as if we unthinkingly parrot the rhetoric and propaganda of right-wing Americans without reflection or critical analysis. Take the ‘pro-family’ message, for example. Does it not lead to the mistaken impression that “we” therefore repudiate solo mothers? That we favour harsh anti-welfare policies that demonise them and their children or drive unwilling women to what are virtually forced abortions? And all this nonsense about ‘welfare dependency’, honestly. I can’t stand that- it ignores the profound fact that all of us are interdependent, because that that is a basic human value. It also implicitly demonises people with disabilities precisely because they are interdependent and often need government benefit assistance due to their impairments. Yes, it was wonderful that British MPs repudiated a recent pro-euthanasia bill in the House of Commons. What is not so great is that due to Tory incapacity (invalid) benefit slashing, people with disabilities are facing destitution, homelessness, self-harm and suicide. We need to be nonpartisan about these issues and highlight our divergences from conservative political parties on issues like benefit cuts, social welfare provision and disability rights. And remember, centre-right does not neccessarily mean value conservative.