New Zealand’s Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters has launched a new bill that he says will protect women’s spaces and propose fines for those who use a restroom designated for a different sex than their own.
The new Fair Access to Bathrooms Bill will require new public buildings to have separate, clearly marked bathrooms for men, women, and unisex use.
It responds to concerns about the privacy and dignity of people using mixed-sex toilets.
Mr. Peters said the primary focus was on protecting women’s and girls’ spaces while also providing fairness and inclusion for all people.
“We have seen a similar move in the United Kingdom this month, with building regulations due to change later this year, making it compulsory to provide separate facilities for men and women for all new restaurants, bars, offices and shopping centres,” he said in a statement.
“New Zealand First campaigned to defend the right to privacy, personal safety and freedom from harm for all New Zealanders, and this Bill demonstrates a much-needed commonsense solution to an issue that has often been overshadowed by ideology.”
Mr. Peters said there had been a trend towards mixed-sex toilets.
The bill also proposes a fine under the Summary Offences Act for anyone using a bathroom for the other sex.
“New Zealand First has listened to New Zealanders and we know that there is a silent majority anticipating such legislation,” Mr. Peters said.
“This Bill will ensure that every individual has fair access to safe public bathroom facilities. Every New Zealander is entitled to feel safe and have privacy in these public spaces.”
However, New Zealand Labour leader Chris Hipkins said the bill was “ridiculous.”
“The country has bigger issues to worry about than Winston Peter’s homophobia or transphobia,” he said.
“How on earth are they going to police that, how on earth are they going to enforce it?”
The bill also drew concern from Green Party spokesman for rainbow communities Kahurangi Carter, who labelled it a “blatant attack on our transgender whanau (family).”
After the bill’s initial announcement, Mr. Peters responded to the Prime Minister’s comments in a social media post, where he said it would not be difficult to separate the sexes.
“Men’s toilets for men, women’s toilets for women. If you want to use a unisex toilet, you can,” he posted.
Mr. Peters followed with a comment noting that a woman is an adult, human female, presumably referring to an instance last year where the New Zealand Prime Minister struggled to explain what a woman was.
Mr. Peters is not the only politician to push for a division of the sexes in the restroom.
Gender Question Proves a Tricky Topic
Last year, the New Zealand Prime Minister tripped up in attempting to answer the question of what a woman is during a press conference.“Well, biology, sex, gender.”
Mr. Hipkins then said people could define their own gender identity.
“People define themselves, people define their own genders.”
The moment resulted in Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese being asked the same question in an interview with Piers Morgan.
