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Double amputee Kevin Gill spent 22
hours on the top of a 10m high tree stump outside Nelson in the name of men's
rights. The Motueka men's advocate took
his protest against airline policies -- which ban men from sitting beside
children travelling alone -- to the top of a recently felled historic gum outside
Richmond on Tuesday evening. He came down yesterday afternoon,
content with the attention he had drawn. Gill said the airline policy was
political correctness gone mad. "Soon men will be afraid to
do anything," he said. Air New Zealand and Qantas have
made no apology for their policies and indicated they were likely to remain
in place. The Human Rights Commission has,
however, received four separate complaints in the past 24 hours about the
issue and offered Gill the chance to join the process. The ban will be the subject of a
dispute resolution process by the commission. The policy came to light this week
after Auckland father of two Mark Worsley made public an incident a year ago
when he was asked to change seats on a domestic Qantas flight because he was
sitting beside a boy travelling alone. Worsley said the incident irked
him so much he contacted National Party political correctness eradicator
Wayne Mapp. Gill, a co-ordinator for the New
Zealand Father and Child Society, was helped to his eyrie at 5pm on Tuesday. He said he had decided on the
protest "off his own bat" and that he would, "stay here until
Air New Zealand change their policy". Gill said the airlines' policy
discriminated against men and inferred men were a risk. "Next thing we know we will
not be allowed to sit beside kids on a bus or at a sports game." A similar race-based policy would
see a huge public outcry, he said. "Why should men be any
different?" Despite a cold night, a fear of
heights and pre-dawn thoughts of giving up his post, Gill lasted most of the
day cheered on by a supportive public. However, by 3pm he had returned to
ground level after ACT MP Rodney Hide told him he would advocate for men's
rights in Parliament. Air New Zealand corporate
communications manager David Jamieson said the carrier made no apology for
the policy, which had been in place for many years. Origin Pacific Airways chief
executive, Dallas Hay, of Nelson, said the company's policy was to seat unaccompanied
children behind the pilot or next to a flight attendant. Qantas spokesman Lloyd
Quartermaine said the airline's policy was longstanding, consistent with
other international airlines and designed to maximise child safety. Carriers, including Singapore
Airlines, Virgin Blue, Cathay Pacific and United Airlines, have similar
policies. Children's Commissioner Cindy Kiro
has backed the airlines' policy as an endeavour to keep children safe. -------------------- CAPTION: Making a point: Kevin Gill stages
a lofty protest against airline policy to segregate men and unaccompanied
children. Photo: Helen Murdoch |
