
Majority Support For Bill Defining ‘Woman' & ‘Man'
ONLY 29% OPPOSITION TO THE BILL
A new poll has found majority support for a Member's Bill that would ensure the biological definition of a woman and man are defined in law according to biology, with two in three voters of the coalition government parties in support.
The Legislation (Definitions of Woman and Man) Amendment Bill will provide clarity and consistency in New Zealand law by defining 'woman' as 'an adult human biological female' and 'man' as 'an adult human biological male' in the Legislation Act 2019, and was introduced by NZ First.
In the independent polling commissioned by Family First NZ and carried out by Curia Market Research, 1,000 respondents were asked 'A Member of Parliament has proposed a law that would define a woman as an adult human biological female and a man as an adult human biological male regardless of gender identity. Would you support or oppose this proposed law?'
52% of respondents said they support the proposed law and only 29% oppose it. (A further 19% were unsure).
Women net support was +4% with a further 27% unsure, but men were strongly in favour with net support +42%.
Net support by age is +19% for under 40s, +22% for 40-59 year olds, and +26% for over 60s.
In terms of party vote, ACT voters were most supportive (72%) followed by NZ First (68%) and National (64%). Undecided voters were 54% in favour.
Labour were 35% for and 44% against, Greens -15% net support and TPM -13%.
The nationwide poll was carried out between 30 April and 4 May and has a margin of error of +/- 3.1%.
Family First's Bob McCoskrie says:
'Given the recent decision by the UK Supreme Court, it's time that NZ's Government also removes the confusion and returns to simple biological reality. Family First is calling on both the National Party and the ACT Party to fast-track NZ First's Member's Bill and adopt it as a Government bill. It's clearly supported by 2/3'rds or more of your voters. Contrary to media and left wing commentary, this is not a negative 'populist' proposal. This is a very popular proposal!'
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"Whether it passes in the exact form, who knows, whether New Zealand First continues its support or insists on changes which might drastically alter it, or even water it down further, is a different question." NZ First leader Winston Peters has described the bill as a "work in progress" and Geddis said: "It is possible that the changes NZ First want so alter the RSB's content that it ceases to deliver what ACT wants it to, creating a stand-off between the two coalition partners." Geddis agreed the coalition agreement makes it difficult for National to not support the bill. "Given that these agreements are treated as being something close to holy writ, and given how much political capital David Seymour is investing in this bill, it seems unlikely that National will feel able to withhold its support. That then leaves NZ First as being, in effect, the decider." From the bill itself, in summary, the principles are: - the benefits that the payers are likely to derive or the risks attributable to them; and - the costs of efficiently achieving the objective or providing the function; and - the issue concerned; and - the effectiveness of any relevant existing law; and - the public interest; and - any reasonably available options (including non-legislative options); and Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.