It’ll bring the issue back into the media’s eye again too.

We’re working on this – we haven’t yet heard back from the Human Rights Commission. However, we’re as keen as mustard to see something happen and have been developing a strategy to both make something happen and to pursue the legal option. Expect to see something in the next couple of weeks…

Tim

You’ve got a point.

What’s happening guys? Any word on legal representation?

I know these things can take a while, and that it’s not always a good idea to discuss. But can’t you give us something?

Perhaps a previous idea about advertising in a different medium might be called for to keep interest in this project from withering.

I used to check this webpage daily, now it’s fortnightly at most. Which is quite disappointing. I thought we were on to something!

I think NZ Bus’s actions were blatantly discriminatory. What I’m less clear on is the legality of this discrimination. Many people are arguing that because they’re a private company they’re allowed to discriminate in this way. I think this could even be true for news papers & other publications (at lest from what I’ve read about examples in the US), but these are different as they’re actually expressing an editorial opinion and are apparently free to do so. NZ Bus however is merely a conduit for advertising and it seems to me that their refusing service to the Atheist campaign would qualify as a human rights violation. Another complicating factor is that they apparently have government/public contracts to provide their service, which I would have thought negates any potential right to discriminate that they may have had.

I would love to see the legality of this situation spelled out. I was appalled to see how many people in NZ were apparently OK with this kind of censorship and discrimination. I honestly thought we were better than that as a society.

Tim

@lance I think having the ads on the buses is important. It is the Atheist Bus Campaign after all.

Personally I think we should get the court ruling but not use NZ Bus. There are other bus companies.

Come to that, why are none of the South Island bus companies being approached? NZBus don’t have anything to do with the South Island companies.

I get where you’re coming from if your goal is just to get the message out there ASAP.

However: Don’t you want some kind of legal acknowledgement that discrimination on religious grounds isn’t acceptable behavior for New Zealand companies? That should be sufficient grounds to take legal action even if we never run a single ad with them.

@lou

That was a touch smarmy – but the sentiment at least is appreciated.

Thanks. I think.

Funny the ways in which God works though? I bet you never thought you would be working for Him?

God Bless!