New Zealand's disabled community is outraged a controversial Australian philosopher who justifies infanticide is being allowed to speak here.
Peter Singer, who's been described as the most dangerous man in the world, has argued it's ethical to give parents the option to euthanise babies with disabilities.
"We decided that yes it was a reasonable decision for parents and doctors to make that it was better that infants with this condition should not live," he says.
His controversial views have been shared around the world - and they're about to make their way to our shores.
"He's one of a kind when it comes to his expertise in animal rights, however he's not an expert in the area of disability," Dr Huhana Hickey says.
Dr Hickey would know. She's used a wheelchair since 1996 and was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 2010.
"His views against disabled people have been picked up by the abled community over the years and a lot of his views have been used against us," she says.
Disabled people make up 24 percent of our population.
Singer is due to visit Auckland's Skycity in June for a night that promises to teach "how to apply ethics to your everyday life".
And while the disabled community isn't planning to stop him coming here they're refusing to stay quiet.
"He has every right to freedom of speech, they have every right to host him. I have every right to protest and to counter his speech around disability," Dr Hickey says.
But some people Newshub spoke to today want his event axed.
"Yeah I don't know if I'd be welcoming him here," one person said.
"I think that's horrific and terrifying," another said.
And it wouldn't be the first time a controversial speaker had been barred. After public outcry alt-right activists Stefan Molyneux and Lauren Southern had their event cancelled in 2018 over "security and health and safety concerns".
SkyCity won't comment on Singer's visit but members of the disabled community say plans are in motion to hold protests here outside of the venue.
But Singer's promoter isn't worried about the pushback.
"Without reading the length and breadth of his work I don't think it's fair for people to be judgemental of out of context comments," Suzi Jamil, director of Think Inc, says.
"I don't run tours on the basis of controversy. I run them because we really need to have hard conversations in our society."
A conversation even Singer wants his opponents to be part of.
