Terminated for saying ‘no’ to cultural training – what’s next?
Just a quick update on Janet’s situation.
As I shared with you previously, the Real Estate Authority (REA) said they were going to cancel real estate agent Janet Dickson’s licence for five years because she would not take a compulsory Maori culture course.
Then, the real estate company she worked for decided to terminate her contract. We couldn’t share this with you at the time because it was important for Janet’s lawyers to try to save her ability to earn a living. Thankfully, they were successful and she has been offered her role back.
Her legal team have also ensured that Janet will remain licensed until the outcome of the High Court proceedings. The hearing will be in June so she can keep working at least until the decision.
Hobson’s Pledge supporters like you got in behind Janet. You’ve ensured that she wasn’t forced to cave in the face of the REA’s decision to go down the track of expensive litigation. Janet could not be more grateful to her lawyers, and to you who made it possible.
The REA isn’t making things easy for Janet though. They’ve applied for what is called “security for costs”. This says they think that Janet won’t be able to pay up if she loses. They claim that only Janet benefits from winning the case, dismissing the great public interest in the case, including public support from the Deputy Prime Minister. They are also ignoring the many other real estate agents in the same boat. We’ve heard from a number of them.
We cannot understand how the REA can think that it is serving its proper purposes, or helping real estate customers and agents, in using its powers and funds to suppress dissent, instead of welcoming a chance to have the court decide who is right on the proper scope of its powers.
The next phase for the legal team is preparing for her judicial review. Meanwhile, Hobson’s Pledge is looking to find out if other Kiwis are experiencing similarly outrageous situations with their employers and licensing bodies. We are hearing that this goes far beyond the real estate field and that professions of all kinds are abusing their powers to force licencees into brain-washing with ideological cultural training.
We’ve been told that lawyers, teachers, doctors, nurses, and public service workers are all under this kind of pressure.
Send me a message if you have an experience that you would be willing to share with us. We can redact names and identifying details if need be.
As you can see, without the backing of our supporters Janet would not have had the excellent legal representation. It has proven its value already.
It makes me proud to see how Hobson’s Pledge can contribute to not only influencing policy and legislation, but also can actively protect democratic freedoms for a Kiwi who is standing up against the racialised politics we fight to resist.
Thanks for your ongoing support,
Don Brash
Trustee
Hobson’s Pledge