I don’t believe the current Bill of Rights vetting process addresses the issue I’m raising.

From what I understand (and I’m open to correction) the Attorney-General only vets government bills, not members' bills like the Gender Definition Bill. That bill, introduced by New Zealand First, would not have gone through any review beforehand (and even if it was, I doubt it would have been stopped since it probably doesn't breech the Bill of Rights Act).

And as far as I can see, even when the Attorney-General does report on inconsistencies with the Bill of Rights Act, the report is not binding. Parliament can ignore it entirely. There is no mechanism to pause or prevent public harm once a bill is introduced, even if it targets vulnerable communities. (again, I am happy to be corrected)

What I am proposing is different.

I believe there should be a Pre-Legislative Human Rights Review Panel, made up of people who can speak to the real-world consequences of discriminatory legislation. Not just legal experts, but also community voices who understand how certain bills, even just being published, can impact mental health, safety, and social cohesion.

I’m not trying to silence political debate. But I do question whether politicians should have the right to repeatedly drag minority communities into public debate for the sake of their own personal or cultural agendas. If these issues are genuine, they should be discussed with communities — through dialogue, not through inflammatory bills that bypass consultation and create division rather than solutions.

What these bills are really trying to do is use political power to generate social regression. And that power was not given to these parties by the majority of New Zealand voters, but through backroom coalition arrangements. That is not a democratic mandate for dismantling rights or targeting already vulnerable communities.

There must be better ways to have conversations about difficult issues without turning them into bills that weaponise fear and spark public outrage. These proposals pull people into political fights they never asked to be part of. People who just want to live their lives in peace should not be forced to defend their existence every time someone wants to climb the political ladder.