ACT May Take Rankin Case to Human Rights Commission

Friday 20th Apr 2001 Richard Prebble Media Release -- Other

ACT leader Hon Richard Prebble said today he had asked Muriel Newman MP to investigate whether the ACT Party could take the Rankin case to the Human Rights Commission.

“It appears to ACT that Ms Rankin has been discriminated against on the basis that she is a woman and under the human rights legislation such discrimination is illegal”, he said.

“Last night on television the Minister of Social Services, Hon Steve Maharey did not deny that he and other Labour MPs had publicly attacked Ms Rankin for way she dresses, the shortness of her skirts and the length of her ear-rings.

“The MPs would not say that about a man, so it follows that it is because she is a woman.

“Members of Parliament are not exempt from the Human Rights Act.

“The ACT party has little faith in the Human Rights Commission believing that most commissioners are political hacks and failed Labour and Alliance candidates. If the commission was independent, of political influence, it would have already stepped in to this row, which it is legally entitled to do. So it appears to ACT that a complaint to the Human Rights Commission could have the double benefit of testing whether the commission has any credibility,” Hon Richard Prebble said.

ENDS

For more information visit ACT online at http://www.act.org.nz or contact the ACT Parliamentary Office at act@parliament.govt.nz.

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