No, allowing people to build on their properties is not gang rape

Stuff reports:

An Auckland councillor is being criticised for likening the intensification of housing in the city to “gang rape”.

During Thursday’s Planning Committee, former mayor of Auckland and Albert-Eden-Puketāpapa ward councillor Christine Fletcher said the Medium Density Residential Standards, which would approve three-story development across most of Auckland, were equivalent to “rape”.

The bill follows new intensification rules passed by the Government and National, allowing buildings of this height on most sites in cities without any need for resource consent from August next year.

When told by chairman Chris Darby to withdraw her comment, Fletcher doubled down, stating the proposal was akin to “gang rape” because it was being done by both major parties.

Sometimes we can over-react to dumb or bad analogies, but in this case the analogy is pretty damn offensive – especially to actual rape victims.