John MacDonald: Are we really that scared of saying what we think?

At the same time as Winston Peters is declaring war on wokeism, we’ve got a Christchurch community board member saying we are too scared to say things these days in case we offend people.  

Ali Jones is the community board member and she’s firing back at criticisms that comments she made online about mobility car parks were "shocking".  

I’ll get to her comments and the reaction but, let me say first, that I don’t agree with her that we are too scared to say things these days.  

I would say the only thing that has changed is the way we say things. The language we use. Which has to be a good thing. I know some people think that being anti-hate speech is being anti-free speech, but that’s not how I see it.  

It does seem to me that the people who are anti-woke or anti-pc tend to jump to conclusions about what you can or can’t say, and they use that to back-up their argument.  

But if you think about how much more open people are when it comes to speaking out about all sorts of stuff, then you can’t buy into the argument that people are scared to speak.  

People are speaking out way more than they used to.  

So what’s happened is Ali Jones put a post on social media asking people if they thought it was weird that there are so many mobility parks on Rolleston Ave, in central Christchurch.  

She said it seemed crazy to have so many mobility parks —four of them— sitting empty, while other people struggle to find somewhere to park.  

And is she getting a roasting for it from a disability support group which is saying today that her comments were “shocking”.   

CCS Disability Action is the group and one of its access co-ordinators, Raewyn Hailes, says it’s not-on for someone in public office to say what Ali Jones said about the mobility car parks.  

She’s saying today that if a public toilet was unoccupied at times, you wouldn’t close it or remove it.  

She says: “It’s extremely disappointing that someone who holds public office would make such a comment because it does have a negative impact on people. Who knows, she might need one some time.”  

Ali Jones has fired back at that. She says she’s angry about it and that it shows that we are “too bloody risk averse” when it comes to saying things.  

She says the criticisms are “a load of rubbish” and she asked a “straight-forward question” because she has never seen the mobility car parks used and wanted to know if anyone else had.  

Ali says she isn't anti-mobility park. She just wanted to find out if other people have the same impression that she does – that they don’t get used that much. But she’s not having any of the criticism she’s getting for her comments and the questions she asked in her social media post.  

She thinks the reaction from the disability support group shows why people are too scared to say anything these days. That we’re too scared to say things in case we offend people or upset them.  

But I disagree. Yes, we’ve changed the way we say certain things and, maybe, Ali could have chosen another way to find out what she wanted to find out about the mobility parks. Maybe she could have worded it differently.  

But just because you might disagree with what another person says, telling them you disagree isn’t shutting them down. It isn’t cancelling them. 

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the Canterbury Mornings podcast with John McDonald
from News Talk zb SO.

Speaker 2 (00:13):
At the same time as Winston Peters is declaring war
on wokeism, at the same time, we've got a christ
Church community board member saying we are too scared to
say things these days in case we offend people. We're
living in the we're living in a piece of world.
We're going all woke on it. Ellie Jones is the
community board member, and she is firing back at criticisms

(00:38):
the comments she made online about disability car parks or
mobility car parks. She's firing back at criticisms that her
comments were shocking. I'll get to her comments and why
she's in hot water shortly, but let me say first
that I don't agree with her that we're too scared
to say things these days, which you might think of

(00:59):
once you're a talk bak host, because it's your job
to say stuff, and to say stuff, not always in
a diplomatic fashion. But I think it's the same for everyone.
I would say the only thing that's changed is the
way we say things, the language we use, and that

(01:20):
has to be a good thing. I mean, I know
some people think that being anti hate speech is being
anti free speech. But that's not how I say it.
And it does seem to me that the people who
talk about being anti woke or anti PC, they tend
to jump to conclusions about what you can or can't say,
and they use those conclusions they've jumped to to back

(01:42):
up their argument. I mean, how many times have you
heard people say or they say, oh, you can't say
that these days, you know, And there's a certain tone
to it, isn't there. But if you think about how
much more open people are when it comes to speaking
out about all sorts of stuff, then you can't buy
into the argument that Allie Jones is pointing out there

(02:05):
today that we are scared of saying stuff in case
it upset someone, you know, stuff like bullying and people's
private lives and their work lives. People are speaking out
against that stuff way more than these two. And that's
proof right there that we aren't putting a lid on
it out of fear. So what's happened? As Ali Jones

(02:28):
put a post on social media asking people if they
thought it was weird that there are so many mobility
parks on Roliston Ave near the Art Center where the
Loomia Theater is. She said in her post it seemed
crazy to have so many mobility parks, four of them,
crazy to have so many of them sitting empty while
other people struggle to find somewhere to park their cars.

(02:51):
And is she getting a roasting for it from a
disability support group which is saying today that her comments
were quote shocking CCS Disability Action as the group CCS
Disability Action and one of its access coward, Raymond Hales,
she says, it's not on for someone in public office
to say what Allie Jones said about the mobility car

(03:13):
park situation. She's saying today that if the public toilet
was unoccupied at times, you wouldn't close it or remove it.
Good point. And she says, quote it's extremely disappointing that
someone who holds public office would make such a comment
because it does have a negative impact on people who
knows she might need one sometime. So Allie Jones, she's

(03:34):
fired back at that. She says she's angry about it
and that it shows we are quote too bloody risk
averse when it comes to saying things. Is she saying
today that the criticisms are quote a load of rubbish
because she asked a straightforward question because she's never seen
the mobility car parks used and wanted to know if

(03:54):
anyone else has now. To be fair to Alie, she's
also saying that she isn't an anti mobility park. Of
course she wouldn't be. She just wanted to find out
if other people had the same impression that she does
that they don't get used that much. But she's not
having any of the criticism she's getting for her comments
and the questions she asked. In her social media post,
she says, quote what on earth can be controversial about that?

(04:17):
I don't understand what the issue is? End of quote,
And she's saying that the reaction from the disability support
group shows why people are too scared to say anything
these days, that we're too scared to say things in
case we offend people or upset them. I disagree with
her overall. I don't think that at all. Yes, we
have changed the way we say certain things, and maybe

(04:40):
Allie could have chosen another way of finding out what
she wanted to find out about the mobility parks. Maybe
she could have worded it differently. But just because you
might disagree, with what another person says. Telling them you
disagree isn't shutting them down, It isn't canceling them.

Speaker 1 (04:57):
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