It has been somewhat concerning to see the complete ineptitude in the way the government has mishandled the case concerning a Malaysian diplomat accused of attempted rape who was allowed to leave New Zealand without a trial.
Not only did Murray McCully completely fail in his Ministerial duties, the Prime Minister and his associates have been trying and failing to pour cold water on their incompetency and the fact that there's a rape culture in New Zealand.
That's why it was good to hear the Minister of Local Government and Social Development, Paula Bennett, come out earlier this week and acknowledge that rape culture does actually exist.
Yesterday, the NZ Herald reported:
It didn't take long for the rabid right wing lunatics to have a bleat at her for making such a statement, with Cameron Slater scribbling:
It appears that the Minister has listened to Slater's ridiculous criticism, because only a day later Paula Bennett has completely contradicted herself, with the NBR reporting:
Talk about a weak-willed individual who'll say just about anything to appease the right wing extremists and a political party predominated by old men. Such an about face concerning this important topic isn't helpful and just goes to show that Bennett's opinion means very little if anything at all.
In fact Paula Bennett's mixed-messages and back-peddling ignores organisation’s such as Roast busters, which is a group of young men in Auckland who intoxicate underage girls to gang rape them. They then brag about their disgusting exploits online to encourage others to commit similar crimes. The Police failed to prosecute the individuals involved because one of their son's was one of the perpetrators. If that's not a culture that encourages rape I don't know what is?
The Minister is also disregarding the fact that New Zealand has a very high rate of recorded rape offenses, something that could simply not occur if there wasn't a rape culture in this country. The sad truth of the matter is that New Zealand has a rape culture, which is supported by those who choose to blame the victims instead of doing something about the actual problem.
Until the government actually acknowledges such problems exist nothing will change. I guess that's what we should expect from a government that's preponderated by out-dated thinking...a government that will say or do just about anything to get re-elected.
Not only did Murray McCully completely fail in his Ministerial duties, the Prime Minister and his associates have been trying and failing to pour cold water on their incompetency and the fact that there's a rape culture in New Zealand.
That's why it was good to hear the Minister of Local Government and Social Development, Paula Bennett, come out earlier this week and acknowledge that rape culture does actually exist.
Yesterday, the NZ Herald reported:
While both John Key and Murray McCully have declined to be interviewed on Billingsley's statements, social development minister Paula Bennett did choose to comment, with TVNZ reporting 'she accepts there is a rape culture in New Zealand'.
Bennett is directly quoted as saying: 'you can see it in the language that is used by some people.
It didn't take long for the rabid right wing lunatics to have a bleat at her for making such a statement, with Cameron Slater scribbling:
PULL YOUR HEAD IN PAULA
Paula Bennett has seriously dropped in my estimation with her latest prognostication about the so-called “rape culture” in New Zealand.
[...]
There is not a rape culture in New Zealand. This is a lie and one perpetrated by wimmin with an agenda…just mentioning the words enables them.
This country is in serious danger if this sort of rubbish takes hold.
It appears that the Minister has listened to Slater's ridiculous criticism, because only a day later Paula Bennett has completely contradicted herself, with the NBR reporting:
Paula Bennett denies New Zealand has a rape culture after saying this week New Zealanders need to change the way they respect each other in order to abolish our rape culture.
"I wouldn’t say that we’ve got a rape culture or a sexual violence culture in New Zealand. Actually most men and most women do not and would not condone any sort of behaviour like that," the Social Development Minister said on TV3's The Nation.
Talk about a weak-willed individual who'll say just about anything to appease the right wing extremists and a political party predominated by old men. Such an about face concerning this important topic isn't helpful and just goes to show that Bennett's opinion means very little if anything at all.
In fact Paula Bennett's mixed-messages and back-peddling ignores organisation’s such as Roast busters, which is a group of young men in Auckland who intoxicate underage girls to gang rape them. They then brag about their disgusting exploits online to encourage others to commit similar crimes. The Police failed to prosecute the individuals involved because one of their son's was one of the perpetrators. If that's not a culture that encourages rape I don't know what is?
The Minister is also disregarding the fact that New Zealand has a very high rate of recorded rape offenses, something that could simply not occur if there wasn't a rape culture in this country. The sad truth of the matter is that New Zealand has a rape culture, which is supported by those who choose to blame the victims instead of doing something about the actual problem.Until the government actually acknowledges such problems exist nothing will change. I guess that's what we should expect from a government that's preponderated by out-dated thinking...a government that will say or do just about anything to get re-elected.
