Latest news with #Boothby
Otago Daily Times
16-07-2025
- Business
- Otago Daily Times
Rousing speech sways Dunedin bowls club to reverse sale plan
The North East Valley Bowling Club has reversed its decision to sell its North Rd property. In May, members voted to sell, but at the recent annual meeting members of the club overturned the resolution. Some said they felt they had been given insufficient information to make an informed vote at the May meeting. On Tuesday, the bowling club executive ratified the decision not to sell and it was "now investigating avenues to go forward", club president Bruce Boothby said. James Sutherland, executive chair of the Valley Project, told The Star: "We had seen that the bowling club was for sale and because we see it very much as a community asset, we want to retain that community ownership." He attended the annual meeting and outlined ways his organisation could help the North East Valley Bowling Club remain viable. "Bowling clubs have got to repurpose and become more community-focused. "It is a huge opportunity to grow not only the club's membership base — currently about 40 — but also to consider what else the facilities can be used for." Asked if he felt his presentation affected the vote at the annual meeting, Mr Sutherland said he did not think so. However, Mr Boothby disagreed. "Bloody oath it did," he said. "It swayed the meeting and renewed members' faith in a viable future for a club that has had a presence in North East Valley for 121 years," he said. Mr Boothby suggested the club, with its good storage facilities, would be ideal for the likes of garden clubs to use as a base, hold flower shows and stage other events. In lieu of rent, he could see garden club members helping maintain the gardens that had won awards in the past. "I'm an optimist," Mr Sutherland said. "I can see the bowling club going for at least another 121 years." The bowling club decision not to sell is a timely one for the Valley Project, which has been using the Baptist church and hall, bigger than their own North Rd rooms. In May, the Baptist Churches of NZ put the church, hall and two adjacent houses on the market. Efforts by the Valley Project to raise the money to buy it were unsuccessful. As of yesterday, none had sold but Harcourts real estate agents Jim Packer and Martin Whangapirita, who are handling the properties, said there was interest in them.
Otago Daily Times
16-07-2025
- Business
- Otago Daily Times
Bowling club calls off sale
The North East Valley Bowling Club has reversed its decision to sell its North Rd property. In May, members voted to sell, but at the annual meeting on Sunday, July 6, members of the club overturned the resolution. Some said they felt they had been given insufficient information to make an informed vote at the May meeting. On Tuesday, the bowling club executive ratified the decision not to sell and it was "now investigating avenues to go forward", club president Bruce Boothby said. James Sutherland, executive chair of the Valley Project, told The Star: "We had seen that the bowling club was for sale and because we see it very much as a community asset, we want to retain that community ownership." He attended the annual meeting and outlined ways his organisation could help the North East Valley Bowling Club remain viable. "Bowling clubs have got to repurpose and become more community-focused. "It is a huge opportunity to grow not only the club's membership base — currently about 40 — but also to consider what else the facilities can be used for." Asked if he felt his presentation affected the vote at the annual meeting, Mr Sutherland said he did not think so. However, Mr Boothby disagreed. "Bloody oath it did," he said. "It swayed the meeting and renewed members' faith in a viable future for a club that has had a presence in North East Valley for 121 years," he said. Mr Boothby suggested the club, with its good storage facilities, would be ideal for the likes of garden clubs to use as a base, hold flower shows and stage other events. In lieu of rent, he could see garden club members helping maintain the gardens that had won awards in the past. "I'm an optimist," Mr Sutherland said. "I can see the bowling club going for at least another 121 years." The bowling club decision not to sell is a timely one for the Valley Project, which has been using the Baptist church and hall, bigger than their own North Rd rooms. In May, the Baptist Churches of NZ put the church, hall and two adjacent houses on the market. Efforts by the Valley Project to raise the money to buy it were unsuccessful. As of yesterday, none had sold but Harcourts real estate agents Jim Packer and Martin Whangapirita, who are handling the properties, said there was interest in them.
Otago Daily Times
16-06-2025
- Politics
- Otago Daily Times
Proposed law change protects questionable pub jokes
Telling a questionable joke at a pub will not land people before an anti-discrimination complaints hearing under an Australian territory's proposed new laws. Attorney-General Marie-Clare Boothby has defended the Northern Territory government's planned anti-discrimination laws to be introduced to parliament in July. At an estimates hearing on Monday, she rejected accusations from shadow attorney-general Chansey Paech that the planned laws "watered down" protections for people offended by comments made about them. Ms Boothby said her government was restoring "fairness and common sense" to laws that went too far when the previous Labor government revised them in 2022. The proposed laws remove "vague" terms such as "offend" and "insult". They will be replaced with clearer terms to prohibit conduct that "incites hatred, serious contempt or severe ridicule" based on personal attributes such as race, sexuality, gender identity, religion and more. "It's still a strong measure of anti-vilification, so we don't put up with that kind of behaviour," Ms Boothby said. "Any kind of hate speech is not acceptable in our community." The attorney-general said the new laws also restored protections for religious schools, allowing them to hire staff who upheld their faith while protecting against discrimination based on race, sexuality or gender. Territorians wanted their freedom to enjoy the territory lifestyle, she said. "It's not just having a joke at the pub that's going to land you in front of a hearing," Ms Boothby said. "We want something that's more serious than that. "We still want to be able to tell a joke. We still want to have freedom of speech debates." It was a case of restoring balance and ensuring the law did not overreach into everyday conversations, religious freedoms, or basic rights to express an opinion, Ms Boothby said. The government consulted religious and multicultural groups, sex workers, LGBTQI groups, the anti-discrimination commissioner and others on the new laws. The proposed legislation was in line with changes made in other Australian jurisdictions, the attorney-general said. The estimates hearing was told the office of the NT Anti-Discrimination Commissioner had a budget cut for 2025/26 of $269,000 to $1.65 million. Commissioner Jeswynn Yogaratnam told the hearing his office received up to 300 complaints a year but only had two complaints officers amid a large backlog of cases. He said only three of 46 vilification complaints this financial year had been accepted in relation to race, religious belief, gender identity and disability. Complaints were assessed as to whether they were trivial, vexatious or had no grounds, while those that proceeded were subject to a high-threshold objective standard of assessment, Mr Yogaratnam said. "So things like your jokes at the pub would not amount to vilification in the context of the way in which we assess it. "Clearly if that joke is one that incites hatred in relation to one of the 24 protected attributes like race, gender identity, disability, then that would be something we would need to consider." Any other version of the NT's vilification provision "would be watering it down" because it was the strongest vilification law in Australia, he said.
The Advertiser
16-06-2025
- Politics
- The Advertiser
Proposed law change protects questionable pub jokes
Telling a questionable joke at a pub will not land people before an anti-discrimination complaints hearing under a territory's proposed new laws. Attorney-General Marie-Clare Boothby has defended the Northern Territory government's planned anti-discrimination laws to be introduced to parliament in July. At an estimates hearing on Monday, she rejected accusations from shadow attorney-general Chansey Paech that the planned laws "watered down" protections for people offended by comments made about them. Ms Boothby said her government was restoring "fairness and common sense" to laws that went too far when the previous Labor government revised them in 2022. The proposed laws remove "vague" terms such as "offend" and "insult". They will be replaced with clearer terms to prohibit conduct that "incites hatred, serious contempt or severe ridicule" based on personal attributes such as race, sexuality, gender identity, religion and more. "It's still a strong measure of anti-vilification, so we don't put up with that kind of behaviour," Ms Boothby said. "Any kind of hate speech is not acceptable in our community." The attorney-general said the new laws also restored protections for religious schools, allowing them to hire staff who upheld their faith while protecting against discrimination based on race, sexuality or gender. Territorians wanted their freedom to enjoy the territory lifestyle, she said. "It's not just having a joke at the pub that's going to land you in front of a hearing," Ms Boothby said. "We want something that's more serious than that. "We still want to be able to tell a joke. We still want to have freedom of speech debates." It was a case of restoring balance and ensuring the law did not overreach into everyday conversations, religious freedoms, or basic rights to express an opinion, Ms Boothby said. The government consulted religious and multicultural groups, sex workers, LGBTQI groups, the anti-discrimination commissioner and others on the new laws. The proposed legislation was in line with changes made in other Australian jurisdictions, the attorney-general said. The estimates hearing was told the office of the NT Anti-Discrimination Commissioner had a budget cut for 2025/26 of $269,000 to $1.65 million. Commissioner Jeswynn Yogaratnam told the hearing his office received up to 300 complaints a year but only had two complaints officers amid a large backlog of cases. He said only three of 46 vilification complaints this financial year had been accepted in relation to race, religious belief, gender identity and disability. Complaints were assessed as to whether they were trivial, vexatious or had no grounds, while those that proceeded were subject to a high-threshold objective standard of assessment, Mr Yogaratnam said. "So things like your jokes at the pub would not amount to vilification in the context of the way in which we assess it. "Clearly if that joke is one that incites hatred in relation to one of the 24 protected attributes like race, gender identity, disability, then that would be something we would need to consider." Any other version of the NT's vilification provision "would be watering it down" because it was the strongest vilification law in Australia, he said. Telling a questionable joke at a pub will not land people before an anti-discrimination complaints hearing under a territory's proposed new laws. Attorney-General Marie-Clare Boothby has defended the Northern Territory government's planned anti-discrimination laws to be introduced to parliament in July. At an estimates hearing on Monday, she rejected accusations from shadow attorney-general Chansey Paech that the planned laws "watered down" protections for people offended by comments made about them. Ms Boothby said her government was restoring "fairness and common sense" to laws that went too far when the previous Labor government revised them in 2022. The proposed laws remove "vague" terms such as "offend" and "insult". They will be replaced with clearer terms to prohibit conduct that "incites hatred, serious contempt or severe ridicule" based on personal attributes such as race, sexuality, gender identity, religion and more. "It's still a strong measure of anti-vilification, so we don't put up with that kind of behaviour," Ms Boothby said. "Any kind of hate speech is not acceptable in our community." The attorney-general said the new laws also restored protections for religious schools, allowing them to hire staff who upheld their faith while protecting against discrimination based on race, sexuality or gender. Territorians wanted their freedom to enjoy the territory lifestyle, she said. "It's not just having a joke at the pub that's going to land you in front of a hearing," Ms Boothby said. "We want something that's more serious than that. "We still want to be able to tell a joke. We still want to have freedom of speech debates." It was a case of restoring balance and ensuring the law did not overreach into everyday conversations, religious freedoms, or basic rights to express an opinion, Ms Boothby said. The government consulted religious and multicultural groups, sex workers, LGBTQI groups, the anti-discrimination commissioner and others on the new laws. The proposed legislation was in line with changes made in other Australian jurisdictions, the attorney-general said. The estimates hearing was told the office of the NT Anti-Discrimination Commissioner had a budget cut for 2025/26 of $269,000 to $1.65 million. Commissioner Jeswynn Yogaratnam told the hearing his office received up to 300 complaints a year but only had two complaints officers amid a large backlog of cases. He said only three of 46 vilification complaints this financial year had been accepted in relation to race, religious belief, gender identity and disability. Complaints were assessed as to whether they were trivial, vexatious or had no grounds, while those that proceeded were subject to a high-threshold objective standard of assessment, Mr Yogaratnam said. "So things like your jokes at the pub would not amount to vilification in the context of the way in which we assess it. "Clearly if that joke is one that incites hatred in relation to one of the 24 protected attributes like race, gender identity, disability, then that would be something we would need to consider." Any other version of the NT's vilification provision "would be watering it down" because it was the strongest vilification law in Australia, he said. Telling a questionable joke at a pub will not land people before an anti-discrimination complaints hearing under a territory's proposed new laws. Attorney-General Marie-Clare Boothby has defended the Northern Territory government's planned anti-discrimination laws to be introduced to parliament in July. At an estimates hearing on Monday, she rejected accusations from shadow attorney-general Chansey Paech that the planned laws "watered down" protections for people offended by comments made about them. Ms Boothby said her government was restoring "fairness and common sense" to laws that went too far when the previous Labor government revised them in 2022. The proposed laws remove "vague" terms such as "offend" and "insult". They will be replaced with clearer terms to prohibit conduct that "incites hatred, serious contempt or severe ridicule" based on personal attributes such as race, sexuality, gender identity, religion and more. "It's still a strong measure of anti-vilification, so we don't put up with that kind of behaviour," Ms Boothby said. "Any kind of hate speech is not acceptable in our community." The attorney-general said the new laws also restored protections for religious schools, allowing them to hire staff who upheld their faith while protecting against discrimination based on race, sexuality or gender. Territorians wanted their freedom to enjoy the territory lifestyle, she said. "It's not just having a joke at the pub that's going to land you in front of a hearing," Ms Boothby said. "We want something that's more serious than that. "We still want to be able to tell a joke. We still want to have freedom of speech debates." It was a case of restoring balance and ensuring the law did not overreach into everyday conversations, religious freedoms, or basic rights to express an opinion, Ms Boothby said. The government consulted religious and multicultural groups, sex workers, LGBTQI groups, the anti-discrimination commissioner and others on the new laws. The proposed legislation was in line with changes made in other Australian jurisdictions, the attorney-general said. The estimates hearing was told the office of the NT Anti-Discrimination Commissioner had a budget cut for 2025/26 of $269,000 to $1.65 million. Commissioner Jeswynn Yogaratnam told the hearing his office received up to 300 complaints a year but only had two complaints officers amid a large backlog of cases. He said only three of 46 vilification complaints this financial year had been accepted in relation to race, religious belief, gender identity and disability. Complaints were assessed as to whether they were trivial, vexatious or had no grounds, while those that proceeded were subject to a high-threshold objective standard of assessment, Mr Yogaratnam said. "So things like your jokes at the pub would not amount to vilification in the context of the way in which we assess it. "Clearly if that joke is one that incites hatred in relation to one of the 24 protected attributes like race, gender identity, disability, then that would be something we would need to consider." Any other version of the NT's vilification provision "would be watering it down" because it was the strongest vilification law in Australia, he said. Telling a questionable joke at a pub will not land people before an anti-discrimination complaints hearing under a territory's proposed new laws. Attorney-General Marie-Clare Boothby has defended the Northern Territory government's planned anti-discrimination laws to be introduced to parliament in July. At an estimates hearing on Monday, she rejected accusations from shadow attorney-general Chansey Paech that the planned laws "watered down" protections for people offended by comments made about them. Ms Boothby said her government was restoring "fairness and common sense" to laws that went too far when the previous Labor government revised them in 2022. The proposed laws remove "vague" terms such as "offend" and "insult". They will be replaced with clearer terms to prohibit conduct that "incites hatred, serious contempt or severe ridicule" based on personal attributes such as race, sexuality, gender identity, religion and more. "It's still a strong measure of anti-vilification, so we don't put up with that kind of behaviour," Ms Boothby said. "Any kind of hate speech is not acceptable in our community." The attorney-general said the new laws also restored protections for religious schools, allowing them to hire staff who upheld their faith while protecting against discrimination based on race, sexuality or gender. Territorians wanted their freedom to enjoy the territory lifestyle, she said. "It's not just having a joke at the pub that's going to land you in front of a hearing," Ms Boothby said. "We want something that's more serious than that. "We still want to be able to tell a joke. We still want to have freedom of speech debates." It was a case of restoring balance and ensuring the law did not overreach into everyday conversations, religious freedoms, or basic rights to express an opinion, Ms Boothby said. The government consulted religious and multicultural groups, sex workers, LGBTQI groups, the anti-discrimination commissioner and others on the new laws. The proposed legislation was in line with changes made in other Australian jurisdictions, the attorney-general said. The estimates hearing was told the office of the NT Anti-Discrimination Commissioner had a budget cut for 2025/26 of $269,000 to $1.65 million. Commissioner Jeswynn Yogaratnam told the hearing his office received up to 300 complaints a year but only had two complaints officers amid a large backlog of cases. He said only three of 46 vilification complaints this financial year had been accepted in relation to race, religious belief, gender identity and disability. Complaints were assessed as to whether they were trivial, vexatious or had no grounds, while those that proceeded were subject to a high-threshold objective standard of assessment, Mr Yogaratnam said. "So things like your jokes at the pub would not amount to vilification in the context of the way in which we assess it. "Clearly if that joke is one that incites hatred in relation to one of the 24 protected attributes like race, gender identity, disability, then that would be something we would need to consider." Any other version of the NT's vilification provision "would be watering it down" because it was the strongest vilification law in Australia, he said.
Perth Now
16-06-2025
- Politics
- Perth Now
Questionable pub jokes protected in proposed law change
Telling a questionable joke at a pub will not land people before an anti-discrimination complaints hearing under a territory's proposed new laws. Attorney-General Marie-Clare Boothby has defended the Northern Territory government's planned anti-discrimination laws to be introduced to parliament in July. At an estimates hearing on Monday, she rejected accusations from shadow attorney-general Chansey Paech that the planned laws "watered down" protections for people offended by comments made about them. Ms Boothby said her government was restoring "fairness and common sense" to laws that went too far when revised by the previous Labor government in 2022. The proposed laws remove "vague" terms such as '"offend" and "insult". They will be replaced with clearer terms to prohibit conduct that "incites hatred, serious contempt or severe ridicule" based on personal attributes such as race, sexuality, gender identity, religion and more. "It's still a strong measure of anti-vilification, so we don't put up with that kind of behaviour," Ms Boothby said. "Any kind of hate speech is not acceptable in our community." The attorney-general said the new laws also restored protections for religious schools, allowing them to hire staff who upheld their faith while protecting against discrimination based on race, sexuality or gender. Territorians wanted their freedom to enjoy the territory lifestyle, she said. "It's not just having a joke at the pub that's going to land you in front of a hearing, we want something that's more serious than that," Ms Boothby said. "We still want to be able to tell a joke. We still want to have freedom of speech debates." It was a case of restoring balance and ensuring the law did not overreach into everyday conversations, religious freedoms, or basic rights to express an opinion, Ms Boothby said. The government consulted on the new laws with religious and multicultural groups, sex workers, LGBTQI+ groups, the anti-discrimination commissioner and others. The proposed legislation was in line with changes made in other Australian jurisdictions, the attorney-general said.
