National pledges to redefine consent law as ‘yes means yes’
Justice minister Paul Goldsmith has promised National would change consent laws to require an actively given 'yes', prompting a political dispute with Labour over credit.
National has pledged, if re-elected, to change New Zealand's consent laws so that consent must be actively given through words or actions, shifting the focus from the absence of a 'no' to the presence of a 'yes'. Labour MP Camilla Belich criticised the announcement, saying National had rejected her earlier attempt at cross-party legislation on the issue. Consent has never been defined in New Zealand law, and advocates and survivors have pushed for change for years. Supporters say the reform would reduce victim-blaming in court and align the law with consent education.
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Underneath the political squabbling, what would a change to consent laws actually mean?
Changing New Zealand’s consent laws would shift the focus to the presence of a ‘yes’ rather than the absence of a ‘no’. There’s nothing like listening to politicians squabbling at a playground level – “It was mine, no, it was…