Latest news with #AndreaWilliams
CTV News
14-07-2025
- Automotive
- CTV News
N.S. group advocates for motorcycle training courses to improve safety
Many motorcyclists in the Maritimes are on high alert after a series of fatal collisions. A Nova Scotia group is advocating for mandatory motorcycle training courses to improve safety on the roads. Andrea Williams with the Bikers Down Society said education is key for safety, particularly in light of recent motorcycle accidents in the province. 'It sounds horrible, but you have to assume that everyone on the road can't see you on a motorcycle, and you have to assume that they can move over at a moment's notice,' Williams said. 'We're hoping that everyone slows down – not just young riders, even the experienced riders that think they can go faster because they've been doing it for years. 'There's so much traffic on the road.' So far this month, a 70-year-old man, a 64-year-old man, a 63-year-old woman, and a 61-year-old man have died in motorcycle crashes across Nova Scotia. A 17-year-old boy was also airlifted to a hospital following a crash in Greenville. Cpl. Carlie McCann with the Nova Scotia RCMP noted aggressive driving was a major contributing factor in collisions in 2024. 'This can be a variety of different factors,' McCann said. 'It can be driving too fast, changing lanes erratically, things like that.' Motorcyclist Josie Lake and her partner ride about 15,000 kilometres per season. 'I don't think anyone goes out without being aware of the risks,' she said. 'They always sort of sit in the back of your mind somewhere. 'If you're going to ride a bike, you have to ride defensively all the time.' Motorcycle helmet Nova Scotia saw a series of motorcycle crashes in July 2025. For more Nova Scotia news, visit our dedicated provincial page
RNZ News
09-07-2025
- RNZ News
Gloriavale school faces possible closure after second audit failure
Gloriavale's school has failed two audits in as many years. Photo: RNZ / Jean Edwards Gloriavale Christian School's registration could be suspended or cancelled if it does not rectify issues identified in another failed audit, the Ministry of Education says. The ministry has expressed serious concern about an Education Review Office (ERO) report that found the private school has not met three of eight registration criteria and is not a physically and emotionally safe space for students . It was the second time the West Coast Christian community's school had failed an audit in as many years. Ministry of Education acting hautū (leader) Te Tai Runga (South) Andrea Williams said staff would meet with school leaders next week to discuss the ERO report and the ministry's response to its findings. "The ministry is seriously concerned by the ERO's conclusion that the school continues to fall short of providing a physically and emotionally safe environment for students and has failed its compliance audit for the second consecutive year," she said. "The ministry is currently working on its response to the report which will be communicated to the school next week. We will expect the school to take immediate and meaningful steps to address the issues identified. "If the school does not demonstrate sustained and measurable improvement within the timeframe we require, the ministry will consider all available options under the Act, including suspension or cancellation of registration." Under the Education and Training Act, the ministry could cancel the registration of a private school if it no longer met the criteria, including providing suitable premises, staffing, curriculum, or ensuring student safety and well-being. The step was considered only after other avenues had been exhausted and where there was clear and ongoing non-compliance, the ministry said. The ERO report - published on 2 July - found Gloriavale Christian School staff were following the New Zealand curriculum and education provision was "slowly improving". A damning 2023 ERO review found the school did not meet six of the eight criteria for private school registration and the provision of education was "inadequate and uncertain". "At that time, court cases citing incidences of physical and sexual abuse of children within the Gloriavale community and findings about young people's employment status and the suitability of some school staffing were significant events impacting schooling," the latest report said. Following a review visit at the end of last year, the ERO said there was a lack of suitable staffing for enrolled students with complex additional needs and they could not attend because of insufficient equipment to support their physical needs. The ERO report also noted the Teaching Council was investigating an allegation of staff misconduct and the school had been instructed to formally monitor the staff member. The report said about 40 percent of the 224 school-aged children at the Gloriavale community attended the school, while about half were home-schooled and the remainder were enrolled with Te Kura (formerly the Correspondence School). "The school board and staff have worked extensively with board-contracted external support and Ministry of Education advice and guidance to develop capacity to provide high quality learning and teaching," the report said. The report said suitable policy and procedures were in place, including a child protection policy, but aspects required improvement. "ERO is not yet assured that all learners physical and emotional health and safety is closely, regularly, and sufficiently considered and monitored across all schooling provision," the report said. In 2023 the ERO recommended that community leaders urgently develop a long-term strategic plan for educational provision across the community and consider external leadership or support. In its July report the ERO said a plan for all children up to the age of 16 was not yet in place although the school board and staff had worked extensively with external consultants and the Ministry of Education. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
Telegraph
28-06-2025
- Politics
- Telegraph
Labour council ‘breaking law' after hoisting pro-trans flag
The Progress Pride flag is an amended version of the 1978 rainbow-coloured Pride flag and includes black, brown, pink, pale blue and white stripes, which represent people of colour in the LGBTQ+ community, the trans community, and those living with HIV/Aids. Andrea Williams, the chief executive of the Christian Legal Centre, said Hackney could be 'vulnerable to litigation'. She told The Telegraph: 'Flying the so-called Progress flag at a time where the Government and the courts have been actively moving to protect the psychological and physical health of young people and safe spaces for women from overreaching interpretations of transgender-related laws is clearly a political statement. 'By flying that particular flag, the mayor of Hackney is clearly engaging in partisan political advertising based on her own and her political party's views on this issue.' Maya Forstater, the chief executive of human rights charity Sex Matters, added: 'Dismissing people who complain about flags or waving this away as a 'culture war' completely misses the point. These symbols are not harmless messages of 'inclusivity'. 'The Progress Pride flag represents a highly contentious belief. It is Hackney council's job to serve the whole community, in line with the Equality Act, not to signal its support for the claim that 'trans women are women'. 'Flying this flag sends a highly political and ideological message to every resident of Hackney, not to mention those council workers at the front line in the leisure centres, libraries and youth clubs where the law about single-sex spaces and services needs to be upheld.' 'The cracks are impossible to ignore' The row comes after the Supreme Court ruled earlier this year that the terms 'woman' and 'sex' in the 2010 Equality Act ' refer to a biological woman and biological sex '. The Telegraph understands there is increasing concern amongst members of the ruling Hackney Labour group over trans rights. One source said: 'The cracks in Hackney Labour are becoming impossible to ignore – especially on sex and gender. Since the Supreme Court judgement, councillors who've been silenced by fear of cancellation are beginning to find their voices. 'Many were deeply uncomfortable when the previous mayor forced through the 'trans women are women' motion without a single word of debate. Many lesbians and women who believe sex matters have repeatedly asked why Hackney flies the Progress Pride flag but refuses even to consider a women's rights flag for International Women's Day.' In correspondence seen by The Telegraph, Ms Woodley said: 'A version of the Pride flag has flown above the Town Hall each February and July since summer 2017, to mark LGBT+ history month each February, and also the week leading up to and including the London Pride weekend each summer, in solidarity with the LGBTQI+ community and to highlight the council's commitment to equalities and social inclusion. 'In summer 2020, the council replaced the original Pride flag with the Progress Pride flag, which includes extra colours to represent queer people of colour and trans people in recognition of the diversity and intersectionality of the community. In 2023, the Progress Pride flag was then replaced with the Intersex Inclusive Progress Pride flag.'
Metro
19-06-2025
- Politics
- Metro
Christian group threatens Westminster Council over 'indoctrinating' pride flags
A London council has been threatened with legal action after hanging trans-inclusive Pride flags around Regent Street from this weekend. Group Christian Concern says Westminster Council is 'indoctrinating' visitors to the famous West End location and breaching planning control. The Crown Estate, which owns most of the property on Regent Street, lodged plans in March to hoist hundreds of flags in 20 locations between mid-June and mid-July to support Pride events. But after being permitted by Westminster Council in mid-May, Christian Concern says the council is opening itself up to potential legal action. In recent years, the display has included over 300 LGBTQI+ Progress Pride flags, developed in 2018 by non-binary American artist and designer Daniel Quasar. Based on the iconic rainbow flag from 1978, the redesign celebrates the diversity of the LGBTQ community and calls for a more inclusive society, celebrating trans, black and brown, gender non-binary and intersex community members. But hardline Christians say the flags, which on June 22 will replace Union Jacks currently flying to mark VE Day, create division by excluding more traditional views. Christian Concern has previously made the point to the council that the Cass Review prohibits the indoctrination and confusion of primary school children with trans ideologies. But the group claims: 'The flags do just that, exposing the hundreds of thousands of children who walk up and down Regent Street, including those who visit Hamleys, to a message and symbols which will be unlawful to teach and display in schools.' Last year, Christian Concern launched a petition signed by 31,000 people calling for a similar display to be stopped. Andrea Williams, chief executive of the Christian Legal Centre, said: 'Many people experience these flags as an attack on historic, traditional beliefs about sex and gender. 'They send the message that people holding these views, which are worthy of respect in a democratic society, are not welcome. 'The majority of the public does not know the highly controversial and harmful symbolism presented by the Progress Pride Flag. At the heart of the flag is the trans flag – pink for girls, blue for boys and white for the 'transition' phase. 'This ideology has been discredited by the Cass Review, the closure of the Tavistock, and most recently Supreme Court ruling. When will the Crown estate catch up with the rest of society? 'If the council chooses to proceed with the display, we will have no option but to pursue legal action.' The proposed flags will be hung from supporting wires, making use of existing fixing points which are intended for reuse. In the planning report, Westminster planning officer Shaun Retzback noted that the flags would be hung at 20 locations along the street running from Oxford Circus to Piccadilly from June 22 until July 17. He said: 'Flags are, in principle, an acceptable, colourful addition to Regent Street's buildings and there is a longstanding tradition of such displays. More Trending 'The flags proposed, to be strung on lines across the street, are not harmful to visual amenity for the temporary period sought, neither are they harmful when considered cumulatively with other flags and banners displayed on buildings in the street at present and across the street from time to time.' A Westminster City Council spokesperson told Metro: 'The council supports festivals and celebrations from our different communities across the year. Pride is an annual and established fixture and has been supported by the Council for many years. 'Pride flags are in keeping with a cosmopolitan City that welcomes millions of visitors every year. All public community celebrations have a fixed duration and are both proportionate and fitting. Given similar pronouncements in previous years we await further information about the Christian Legal Centre's legal challenge with interest.' Metro contacted the Crown Estate. Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@ For more stories like this, check our news page. MORE: £20 Pan-Indian feast from a Michelin-starred chef: 10 unmissable Time Out deals MORE: Enjoy the weekend's heat with London's best boat restaurants MORE: 'Swan Whisperer' banned from Hyde Park after residents objected to him kissing the birds
Daily Mail
14-06-2025
- Politics
- Daily Mail
Christians vow to sue 'Wokeminster' council if they put up trans-inclusive flags for Pride month
A Christian company has vowed to sue a council dubbed 'Wokeminster' over plans to hang up trans-inclusive flags to mark Pride Month. In collaboration with Westminster City Council, the Crown Estate, who own the majority of properties on Regent Street, plan to fly Progress Pride flags in 20 locations throughout the central London area between mid-June and mid-July. But if the proposed decorations are hoisted into the air within the next week, the council, nicknamed 'Wokeminster' by its own chief executive Stuart Love, and the Crown Estate risk facing legal action from the Christian Legal Centre. Andrea Williams, chief executive of the Christian Legal Centre, told The Telegraph that the Pride flags were an attack on traditional beliefs about sex and gender. She warned that the Christian Legal Centre would have no option but to pursue legal action if the council chooses to proceed with the Pride display, arguing that everyone should feel welcome in Regent Street. Ms Williams said: 'They send the message that people holding these views – which are worthy of respect in a democratic society – are not welcome. 'The majority of the public do not know the highly controversial and harmful symbolism presented by the Progress Pride Flag.' The Pride flag was created by American artist and gay rights activist Gilbert Baker and was first displayed in 1978 as a symbol of the LGBTQ+ community. The Progress Pride flag, designed by artist Daniel Quasar, is an amended version including black, brown, pink, pale blue and white stripes to represent people of colour within the LGBTQ+ community, the trans community and those living with HIV/AIDS. Ms Williams continued: 'This ideology has been discredited by the Cass review, the closure of the Tavistock, and most recently Supreme Court ruling. When will the Crown Estate catch up with the rest of society?' In April, five Supreme Court justices ruled that the legal definition of a 'woman' in the 2010 Equality Act refers 'to a biological woman and biological sex'. Lord Hodge said he recognised 'the strength of feeling on both sides' and cautioned against seeing the judgement as a triumph for one side over another, stressing that the law still gives trans people protection against discrimination. Despite this, Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch praised the ruling as a 'victory' for women and said it meant the 'era of Keir Starmer telling us women can have penises has come to an end'. The landmark ruling could have far-reaching implications on how sex-based rights apply, including how women-only spaces are allowed to operate. Vicky Lee, founder of the Way Out Club, urged the Christian Legal Centre not to pursue legal action. She argued they would need to sue 'for every pair of hot pants, every T-shirt and every flag worn as a cape because Pride Month is here and the superheroes [trans community] are not going away anytime soon.' Other London-based trans activists including Dee Chantelle who runs a pub called Zodiac in Camden, told the publication that the threat of legal action is just another way to ignore the existence of trans people. More than one million members of the LGBTQ+ community and allies are expected to take to the capital on July 5th for Pride in London. The colourful parade will make its way through Piccadilly Circus and Regent Street before concluding at Westminster. Last year's Pride organisers were criticised by none other than James May for the sheer number of flags flying in Regent Street. The Top Gear star took to social media to arguing that the LGBTQ+ decorations could be seen as 'authoritarian' and 'oppressive'. He also suggested that World War Two started with too much bunting. His X/Twitter post read: 'Pride: while I have observed and admired what you have achieved over my lifetime, may I respectfully suggest that you are borderline guilty of Too Much Bunting (TMB). It may be seen as authoritarian, and therefore oppressive. 'Please remember that some terrible things, with which you would not wish to be allied, began with TMB. World War Two, for example. Nice flag, though.' In the comments, one person wrote: 'I hope you're not insinuating that somehow the LGBTQ+ community is somehow in danger of starting WW3 because of some rainbow flags James?' May stood firm in his stance and said: 'I'm not, no. Stand down'. Another replied: 'Respectfully, comparing the LGBT community to Nazis is very offensive. Very disappointed, James.' But May refuted the claim that he was comparing the LGBT community to the Nazis and responded with: 'I haven't done, though, have I?' A spokesperson for Westminster City Council said: 'The council supports festivals and celebrations from our different communities across the year. Pride is an annual and established fixture and has been supported by the council for many years. 'Pride flags are in keeping with a cosmopolitan city that welcomes millions of visitors every year. All public community celebrations have a fixed duration and are both proportionate and fitting. 'Given similar pronouncements in previous years we await further information about the Christian Legal Centre's legal challenge with interest.'
