Posie Parker to return to New Zealand in September: Will border officers let her in?

Controversial anti-transgender activist Kellie-Jay Keen-Minshull, otherwise known as Posie Parker, is set to return to New Zealand in September - but her entry is not yet secured.

Keen-Minshull, a self-described women’s rights activist, said she was returning for a court hearing for the person who allegedly assaulted her at her March rally in Albert Park, Auckland.

She penned an open letter to Prime Minister Chris Hipkins yesterday, asking him to guarantee her safety.

Immigration New Zealand general manager Richard Owen said Keen-Minshull holds a New Zealand Electronic Travel Authority (NZeTA), allowing her to travel here without applying for a visa in advance.

Owen said Keen-Minshull’s entry into the country was still subject to border officers granting her a visa and permission to enter when she arrived at the airport.

“This assessment includes whether the traveller is ineligible to enter due to character concerns,” he said.

Keen-Minshull abruptly ended her Let Women Speak tour after her first of two planned events was drowned out by pro-transgender rights protestors.

A protester, 34-year-old Eli Rubashkyn has said she doused Keen-Minshull with tomato juice but pleaded not guilty to charges of assault in April. Keen-Minshull was rushed out of Albert Park by security and her supporters and was later escorted by police.

In her open letter to the Prime Minister, Keen-Minshull confirmed she was returning for Rubashkyn’s hearing.

“Dear Prime Minister,” she wrote, “as you will be aware I visited New Zealand in March of this year to facilitate a ‘Let Women Speak’ event.

“I’m sure you are familiar with the failure of the police to protect women from intimidation and violence at our Auckland event.

“I am returning to your country in September. Can you guarantee that I ... will be safe? What assurances can you offer that the police will protect us? Yours sincerely, Kellie-Jay Keen.”

Raphael Franks is an Auckland-based reporter who covers breaking news. He joined the Herald as a Te Rito cadet in 2022.