Back in December, when decline in support for Labour was reflected in opinion polls, the Government implied that co-governance work would be put on the backburner, and that the Human Rights Commission was to stop work on the controversial He Puapua report. We now see that the Government was being less than honest, as work in these areas continues - full steam ahead! This is apparent in the proposed RMA replacement legislation currently before parliament, and with the move by the Human Rights Commission to partner with the National Iwi Chairs’ Forum. It appears the Commission has become a front for furthering the political ambitions of the Iwi Chairs’ Forum. Read more about this at: Human Rights Commission partners with Iwi Chairs’ Forum.
You may have noticed that respect for civil liberties has declined in the past few years. We are facing growing threats to our democratic political system which is based on universal and equal suffrage, equality before the law, and freedom of speech. In a very unwelcome and downright sinister development militant forces have arisen to try to sabotage free speech. The most notorious – and shameful – is the recent assault of woman’s rights activist Kellie-Jay Keen-Minshull and other members of the crowd who came to listen to what she had to say. Another instance of the use of the thugs’ veto is the attempt to close down the Julian Batchelor Stop Co-governance Tour.
The right to speak freely is essential to democratic government. Indeed, freedom of expression is preserved in section 14 of the New Zealand Bill of Rights Act 1990 which states that: "Everyone has the right to freedom of expression, including the right to seek, receive, and impart information and opinions of any kind in any form". Yet, attempts to sabotage the right to free speech are openly supported by many in the mainstream media who in frequent instances report with alacrity the one-sided - and I would say stage managed - narrative put forward by protestors. Accuracy fairness and balance be damned – there was next to no coverage showing the aggressive posturing by the protestors at the Stop Co-Governance Orewa meeting, and judging by the narrative, it appears the media did not bother to interview anyone in the audience. For an eyewitness account by an audience member, see: The thugs’ veto visits Orewa
While the Stop Co-Governance public meetings are facing the cancellation of various venues, the Co-Governance - What it is, why it’s wrong, and why it must be stopped books are available for distribution. Order copies to deliver in your neighborhood at:
https://www.stopcogovernance.kiwi/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/How-to-order-Julians-book.pdf
You can also read the book online by clicking HERE
Access to the Stop Co-Governance petition is available HERE
Another project worth supporting is the campaign by NZCPR to publish sufficient copies of the booklet ‘Treaty of Waitangi’ by Sir Apirana Ngata, to distribute to every New Zealand household, so Kiwi families can properly understand the Treaty as it was written, not as it has been reinterpreted by activists. This requires funding and effort, so if you want to support this project, please click HERE.
Take this opportunity to have your say!
Currently, we are invited by the government say what we think about human rights in New Zealand - the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade is hosting public meetings in eight cities around the country to hear directly from the public. The public meetings are listed here. Your views will contribute to the government’s report to the United Nations, which will be reviewed by the UN’s Human Rights Council in April/May 2024 in a process called the Universal Periodic Review. See more at: Speak up for universal human rights and against racial discrimination.
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Kind regards,
Susan Short