Transgender
Update May 2010:
In the Transgender report commissioned by the HRC and published in 2007, there are wide ranging and largely common sense recommendations which require action at the administrative level and some small but significant amendments to legislation. As there are several Ministers involved we wrote to the principal ones in the last Government, asking what they are doing to implement the report. Replies were largely along the lines of ‘we endorse the recommendations and my officials are studying these’.
But Lianne Dalziel, as Minister responsible for the HRC, set up a process for agencies to report back to the Dept of Justice on the actions required. This report-back was due for completion in April 2009. Rainbow Wellington therefore wrote to the new Minister of Justice, Simon Power, reminding him of the need to take action on the report. Mr Power confirmed that the report-back process was continuing, and that he planned to follow the process set out by his predecessor. We will continue to keep an eye on any developments, and try to ensure that the necessary changes do not just end up on the back-burner somewhere.
The current state of play is summarised at: http://www.hrc.co.nz/home/hrc/humanrightsenvironment/actiononthetransgenderinquiry/actiononthetransgenderinquiry.php
This page appears to be regularly updated.
A reminder that the Human Rights Commission report is at: http://www.hrc.co.nz/home/hrc/humanrightsenvironment/actiononthetransgenderinquiry/resources/resources.php
Whilst there are some developments as a result of the report, progress is very slow, and much remains to be done. We have continued and will continue to apply pressure for all the report’s recommendations to be carried out, by whatever means are appropriate, and to this end have mentioned it at our meetings with the political parties, persuaded MPs to put down written questions in the House, etc.
Movement on these issues continues to be very slow, and we have reminded the PM of this in our open letter to him in December.