Anti-civil union group calls for transsexual's
removal from rights tribunal

25 November 2004

By DANYA LEVY

ACT MP Stephen Franks and the Campaign Against the
Civil Union and
Relationship Bills are calling for the removal of a
transsexual woman from a
human rights tribunal after she accused the lobby
group of hate crime.

Jacquie Grant was appointed to the Human Rights
Review Tribunal, the former
Complaints Review Tribunal, on November 9 for a
five-year term.

The Campaign Against the Civil Union and
Relationship Bills want her removed
from the tribunal after she sent the group what it
alleges was a threatening
email.

The email warns: "Rest assured you will be taken to
task at every
opportunity for hate crime."

Ms Grant, from Hokitika, said she was prompted to
write to the group after
reading its "hate site" and said she has raised over
70 children as a foster
parent.

"None have ever turned out gay," she said.

"By the way I am a transsexual woman by your
definition. I used to be a
man."

The group was urged by Ms Grant to examine their
"own back yards".

Campaign spokesman Garnet Milne said the group
failed to see how Ms Grant
could remain on a tribunal in a statutory role to
show impartiality and
fairness.

"She has already disclosed her hand as one who has a
sinister agenda of bias
against those opposing the Civil Union Bill and
Relationship Bill."

Mr Milne said the group had referred the matter to
its lawyer and lodged a
complaint with the Human Rights Review Tribunal.

Mr Franks, ACT's justice spokesman, said today Ms
Grant should be removed
from the tribunal.

"I don't think she has the faintest idea about what
human rights is about
when she says 'I don't like your ideas, so I'm going
to criminalise you'."

It was appropriate for her to be involved in debate,
he told NZPA.

"But to then suggest that she should be able to use
the powers of the state
to punish people whose views are different from hers
is just wrong."

Mr Franks was concerned the Civil Union Bill was a
"stalking horse" for a
bill on hate crime.

The government administration select committee is
currently examining hate
crime.

The essence of freedom was that people were free to
voice their dislikes and
disassociate themselves from people whose actions
they did not agree with,
he said.

"It was hard-fought freedom, hundreds of years of
people literally losing
their lives, to get that established."

A select committee is due to report back to the
Government on the Civil
Union Bill on Monday.

Mr Franks said he urged the committee to insert a
provision in the bill
which would protect people who opposed
homosexuality.

"Unless there is something like that, I'm not going
to vote for it."

Tribunal members are appointed by the
Attorney-General.

The minister appointed people who had knowledge or
experience in different
aspects of matters that were likely to come before
the tribunal, he told
NZPA.

Tribunal chairman Royden Hindle was unavailable this
morning but is expected
to release a statement later today.

Ms Grant could not be reached for comment this
morning.

© Fairfax New Zealand Limited 2004.