You're listening to the Canterbury Mornings podcast with John McDonald from News Talk zb SO.

You're listening to the Canterbury Mornings podcast with John McDonald from News Talk zb SO.

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 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 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 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 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 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 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. 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 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 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 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? 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 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.

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 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 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 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 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 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 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. 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 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 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 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? 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 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.

For more from Caterbory Mornings with John McDonald, listen live to news Talks That'd Be Christ Church from nine am weekdays, or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio

For more from Caterbory Mornings with John McDonald, listen live to news Talks That'd Be Christ Church from nine am weekdays, or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio