The New Zealand Parliament (File photo) Photo: RNZ / Alexander Robertson
A member of the public has momentarily derailed a Parliamentary select committee with an anti-trans rant and verbal abuse of an MP.
The Justice Select Committee was hearing feedback on a bill which would give remand prisoners more access to rehab programmes.
It includes a provision giving transgender and intersex prisoners the right to choose the sex of the prison officer searching them.
Chief Ombudsman Peter Boshier had earlier told MPs it would preserve the dignity of gender-diverse prisoners.
One of the submitters - introduced as Rex Landy from a group called "TAW" - voiced her strong opposition before attacking Labour's Ginny Andersen.
"Security breaches happen all the time, and no I'm not here to answer questions from you - you get men out of women's jail and stop this bill. It's a load of rubbish and as for you Ginny you're a f****** disgrace."
MPs on the committee groaned at that, before the chair - National's MP for Rangitata James Meager - stopped the submission.
"Thank you for your time, we'll end that there - sorry about that Ginny," he said.
"That's alright," she replied.
Landy has previously appeared at select committees to oppose the Births, Deaths, Marriages and Relationships Registration bill, and the Conversion Practices Prohibition Legislation bill. Both times she clashed with MPs.
Nicknaming herself the "TERF Jester" on YouTube, Landy has been banned from X for violating its hateful conduct rule.
Gender Minorities Aotearoa executive director Ahi Wi-Hongi said these types of abusive rants were becoming more common and could be dangerous.
"It's very threatening and creates quite a lot of quite legitimate fear for trans people, trans people's whānau and those who are supporting them.
"And in lot of cases that does lead to violence against trans people, so it's quite dangerous."
In a later statement, Andersen said select committees were a place for respectful and robust discussions on matters before Parliament and any disorderly behaviour during a committee was "totally unacceptable".
"We still have some way to go to before the Rainbow community can live free from the fear of violence and be able to access to the support needed. Using a select committee submission to attack trans people is something I will not tolerate. Trans rights are human rights."
It follows Labour MP and former Sport and Recreation Minister Grant Robertson's valedictory speech the night before, in which he identified concerns about rising bigotry targeted towards trans people.
"I am particularly concerned at the way our trans community have been the subject of increasing hatred, bigotry and lies as a result of the ongoing culture wars," he said.
"I saw this especially in the Sports portfolio. People with absolutely no care for women's sport suddenly became warriors for safety in pursuit of an imagined enemy.
"The othering of trans people is despicable. We have to support people to live the lives that they want to live and to show them some respect."
Wi-Hongi said Robertson "hit the nail on the head".
"This was probably the same sort of situation where someone who's never cared about how women are treated in prison is suddenly a warrior for women's safety in prison, if it's about banning trans women.
"It makes me think of Brian Tamaki. I'm not sure he's ever set foot in a library but suddenly very concerned about shutting down rainbow storytime at the Rotorua Library and beyond."
Wi-Hongi is referring to the cancellation of 'Rainbow Storytime' at Rotorua Library over safety concerns, after Destiny Church leader Brian Tamaki pledged to stop the event.