Don't call me an Aussie!!

[Gob]

Hurling abuse wasn't the problem for Petra Mills. But a court ruled that calling her New Zealand neighbour an Australian was racist and against the law.

Czech-born Mills, 31, has been found guilty of racially aggravated public disorder after a rant at her New Zealand-born neighbour in Macclesfield, south of Manchester.


Chelsea O'Reilly, who has dual British and New Zealand citizenship, said: "She called me a stupid fat Australian b****. Because of my accent there can be some confusion over my nationality. She knew I was from New Zealand.

"She was trying to be offensive. I was really insulted. She said she would kill my dog. Bizarrely she then blew raspberries at me like a child."

The incident happened when O'Reilly was giving a statement to police about a domestic incident between Mills and Mills' husband in early September, the Daily Mail reported.

Mills, who had called the police after running from her house, had stormed over to O'Reilly's house and began screaming at her.

Two police constables told the court they had heard Mills use the word "Australian" during her drunken rant.

At Macclesfield magistrates' court Mills agreed she had shouted but denied she was being racist.

"I did not use the word 'Australian'. I used to live with an Australian person. She was very nice."

But chairman of the bench Brian Donohue said: "You were in an emotional and inebriated state. The word 'Australian' was used. It was racially aggravated and the main reason it was used was in hostility."

Mills denied the charge of racially aggravated public disorder but was found guilty and fined £110. She admitted assaulting a police constable by kicking him in the shin and knee and was fined £200 on that charge. She was also ordered to pay both victims £50 compensation, and £500 court costs.

Mills and her husband moved to Scotland after the incident.

[Lord Jim]

This is obviously ridiculous....

But it's the road one travels, when you criminalize "hate speech"....

[eddieq]

[Roo]

I wonder if Mills had called her a Kiwi or Creek jumper this could of been avoided?
I work with lots of contract workers on the farm and now if asked someone's nationality I will always say the most obviously wrong one. Eg Girl from Asia will be German or Yesterday a verry Scotish bloke was referred to as the Inuet.
Nothing to do with hate or race it just helps me get on with my day and no-one is offended (I hope)

[Gob]

I like it!

[The Hen]

Kiwis have a big chup on their shoulders when it comes to Australia.

[liberty]

New Zealander should be the insult. If you remember during the Cold War they would not allow US war ships to visit their ports; they were afraid they would anger the Soviets.

[Crackpot]

You really have a warped view of history don't you?

[Crackpot]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sinking_of ... ow_Warrior

The failure of Western leaders to condemn this violation of a friendly nation's sovereignty caused a great deal of change in New Zealand's foreign and defence policy.[9] New Zealand distanced itself from its traditional ally, the United States, and built relationships with small South Pacific nations, while retaining excellent relations with Australia, and to a lesser extent, the United Kingdom.[10]

Or wouldn't you take offense at an ally outright ignoring a deliberate terrorist attack by foreign nationals on our sovereign territory?

[Crackpot]

I really boggles my mind how you can be so far off on so many issues that aren't even considered disputed by the vast majority of historians (and I'm using Historian loosely here since I don't think you could hold these facts as disputable and still be considered an historian)

[liberty]

New Zealand's nuclear-free zoneFrom Wikipedia, the free encyclopediaJump to: navigation, search Anti-nuclear movement

In 1984, Prime Minister David Lange barred nuclear-powered or nuclear-armed ships from using New Zealand ports or entering New Zealand waters. Under the New Zealand Nuclear Free Zone, Disarmament, and Arms Control Act 1987,[1][2] territorial sea, land and airspace of New Zealand became nuclear-free zones. This has since become a sacrosanct touchstone of New Zealand foreign policy.[3]

The Act prohibits "entry into the internal waters of New Zealand 12 nautical miles (22.2 km/ 13-13/16 statute miles) radius by any ship whose propulsion is wholly or partly dependent on nuclear power" and bans the dumping of radioactive waste within the nuclear-free zone, as well as prohibiting any New Zealand citizen or resident "to manufacture, acquire, possess, or have any control over any nuclear explosive device."[2][4] The nuclear-free zone Act does not prohibit nuclear power plants, nuclear research facilities, the use of radioactive isotopes, or other land-based nuclear activities.[5]

After the Disarmament and Arms Control Act was passed by the Lange Labour government, the United States government suspended its ANZUS obligations to New Zealand. The legislation was a milestone in New Zealand's development as a nation and seen as an important act of sovereignty, self-determination and cultural identity.[6][7] New Zealand's three decade anti-nuclear campaign is the only successful movement of its type in the world which resulted in the nation's nuclear-free zone status being enshrined in legislation.[8

[Crackpot]

And that the hell does that have to do with angering the Soviets?

[liberty]

And that the hell does that have to do with angering the Soviets?

The NZ (insert derogatory name) required any war ship visiting their ports to declare its nuclear status. If we did that we would have beeen providing the Soviets with the same information. We prefer our enemies to be as ignorance as possible. That requirement in fact banned US war ships from visiting New Zealand. Which is just fine they can go their own way without any regard to us; they have nothing we need.

[Joe Guy]

And that the hell does that have to do with angering the Soviets?

The NZ (insert derogatory name) required any war ship visiting their ports to declare its nuclear status. If we did that we would have beeen providing the Soviets with the same information. We prefer our enemies to be as ignorance as possible. That requirement in fact banned US war ships from visiting New Zealand. Which is just fine the can go their own way without any regard to us; they have nothing we need.

I see... that explains it.

[Lord Jim]

I remember when New Zealand decided to pull this....

At the time I thought it was a meaningless, self-righteous, grandstanding stunt, taken by a lefty government to try to please it's lefty base....

Nothing has happened since then to cause me to revise my opinion....

[Crackpot]

And that the hell does that have to do with angering the Soviets?

The NZ (insert derogatory name) required any war ship visiting their ports to declare its nuclear status. If we did that we would have beeen providing the Soviets with the same information. We prefer our enemies to be as ignorance as possible. That requirement in fact banned US war ships from visiting New Zealand. Which is just fine they can go their own way without any regard to us; they have nothing we need.

So the Soviets wouldn't be forced to telegraph the same info to us?

THe point being they didn't want nuclear vessels of any kind in their ports. Essentially you're saying that they don't have the right to govern their own country.

[Crackpot]

I remember when New Zealand decided to pull this....

At the time I thought it was a meaningless, self-righteous, grandstanding stunt, taken by a lefty government to try to please it's lefty base....

Nothing has happened since then to cause me to revise my opinion....

If it's meaningless why did so many get wound up so much about it. Regardless of what you think of nuclear power/weapons you have to agree that it is within a countries rights to control such activities within it's boarders. If it was just a grandstanding stunt why hasn't it been overturned in the years since? Is it so hard to believe that the majority of a self governed country would view the subject differently than you?

[Crackpot]

Recent developments

Under the previous New Zealand Labour Government, its Prime Minister Helen Clark maintained New Zealand's nuclear-free zone status, a bipartisan position supported by the opposition New Zealand National Party. In a recent survey the majority of New Zealanders favour solar and wind energy as a power source, with only 19% wanting nuclear power.[47]
The United States wants New Zealand to repeal its nuclear-free legislation, which would then allow U.S. warships possibly with nuclear weapons to visit New Zealand ports. Pressure from the United States increased in 2006, with U.S. trade officials linking the repeal of the ban of American nuclear ships from New Zealand's ports to a potential free trade agreement between the two countries.[35] In 2004, then opposition leader Don Brash refused to confirm or deny that he told visiting US senators the nuclear ban would be repealed "by lunchtime" if he was elected prime minister.[48][49] Brash quit politics after losing the 2005 election and "gone by lunchtime" became a political catchphrase in New Zealand.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Zealan ... -free_zone

[Gob]

I remember when New Zealand decided to pull this....

At the time I thought it was a meaningless, self-righteous, grandstanding stunt, taken by a lefty government to try to please it's lefty base....

Nothing has happened since then to cause me to revise my opinion....

NZ always has been a left wing leaning country, and has been all the better for it. Given a choice of having to live anywhere but the UK or Aus, NZ would be top of my list.

[dales]

Oh you're just saying that, Gob.

We all know you have a burning desire to live in Canada.

(so near the USA and all that)