Kellie-Jay Keen-Minshull and Michael Wood

Michael Wood (Minister of Immigration) to my mind has struck some very sour notes in his reactions to the Kellie-Jay Keen-Minshull affair. I emailed him with a few thoughts regarding his NZ Herald press statement. Those thoughts are below this intro.

I relied on Sky News Australia for the “closer to home” or “on the ground” detail about the Melbourne meeting. Local coverage here was mainly a slanted and out of context mish-mash. Here I have fired more than a few shots at Michael Wood and Labour.

What do I think of Kellie-Jay Keen-Minshull? She comes across as being totally genuine but maybe lacking some intellectual heft. A little naïve possibly but committed all the same. She could do with backup from some of women’s better known advocates. I can’t name any myself but I’m sure they are out there.

I don’t expect to receive a considered reply from Mr Wood. Apart from the automated email receipt which has already appeared - instantly.    

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Points addressed to Michael Wood

If your office and advisors had taken time to check out the on the ground Australian coverage of the Keen-Minshull affair you would have been a lot less intemperate in the language used in your press statement.

The coverage and commentaries I was aware of told me that the Nazi saluting group in Melbourne was directing its ire solely at the pro-trans group, not at the pro-women group. Plus the on the ground information was that the pro-women group did not invite the Nazi saluting group and had no prior knowledge of them.

Some commentators have suggested that the Nazi saluting group was there almost as an independent “rent a crowd” or “flash mob” to disrupt the entire meeting. That is to provoke mayhem and discredit both the pro-trans and pro-women groups.

Getting to the nitty-gritty of your press statement. I have sourced these quotes from the NZ Herald site.

Quote: “I find many of her views repugnant”.

Use of the word repugnant can only mean that you are accusing Keen-Minshull of indulging in hate speech. Check out the synonyms for the word repugnant.

Keen-Minshull’s main argument has been consistently that the whole idea of, and status of the genuine, emphasise genuine, woman, is under attack on countless fronts. Unfortunately she has drawn a great deal of insulting language and behaviour from the radical trans/gay/queer movement. Not to put too fine a point on the issue Mr Wood, your statement language is insulting, and will likely encourage more of the type of action seen in Melbourne.

The radical trans/gay/queer movement will take any opportunity and align with any movement, or political party, to advance its cause - without any care for what damage is done along the way. To make a political point - Labour is hugely mistaken if it believes the radical trans/gay/queer movement makes up a significant number of the voting public. This year’s census numbers will provide the answer. 

Other points and quotes: “she courts some of the most vile people and groups around, including white supremacists…”

“I condemn her inflammatory, vile and incorrect worldviews…”

It confounds me totally that you can say it is inflammatory, vile or incorrect to defend the status and rights of genuine women. Again Mr Wood you are badly out of order here.   

Keen-Minshull has already repudiated the misinformation appearing on the Wikipedia page. It has been said many times that the provenance of Wiki information is to be treated always with considerable care. Memo again, she does not place herself in any way as a supporter of Nazism.

Summarising. Mr Wood you have come very close to directly labelling Keen-Minshull as a Nazi sympathiser. Memo again, your words, “white supremacists”. Accusing someone of Nazism or neo-Nazism is very heavy stuff and unworthy of you. Like it or not that is what I am reading, overall, out of your statement.

Last point. When you said you did not want Keen-Minshull to enter New Zealand was that a dog-whistle instruction to your immigration officials not to allow into the country any speakers, any speakers, who do not comply with your’s and Labour’s disordered thinking?

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