The New Zealand Outdoors Party believes fundamental democracy is a rising election issue that should be at the forefront of major issues come the September election, says the party’s co-leader and lawyer Sue Grey.
“We have taken for granted that we live in a democracy and our fundamental rights would always be protected. However, the past few months have been a big shakeup. We have come to realise how tenuous these rights are and how easily a Government can pull them out from under us with their covert agendas,” she said.
Rushed Firearm Law
A prime example was the rushed firearm laws following the mosque shooting with government ramming through laws in just two days and ignoring the 13,000 submissions the public made.
“It was rushed law that flouted democracy and the rights of citizens to have input. It was futile law that hit at the law abiding public while leaving criminals, gangs and would-be terrorists with their illegal firearms not affected.”
Sue Grey said select committee processes have become farcical, and just a token nod to the public’s right to make submissions. Many other issues were being pushed by government with complete arrogant disregard for the public.
“This has propelled freedom and democracy to the forefront of the NZ Outdoors Party campaign. The party has been working hard to raise awareness about the need for a Constitution that we could bring into Government with us,” she said. “We need our basic rights such as freedom of speech, freedom of movement, freedom to choose medical treatment and freedom to choose with whom we associate, enshrined in law and held above all other laws.”
Corporate Power
The NZ Outdoor Party’s other co-leader Alan Simmons said a sad aspect of recent elections had been the power corporates wielded over governments, by donating heavily to selected individual parties and then gaining support for their exploitation of public resources from an elected government.
“We have always described ourselves as ‘A peoples party by the people for the people.’ That means we don’t accept funding or donations from corporates who wish to influence our policies or us when we make it into parliament,” he said..
Donations by corporate fishing companies to parties had been publicised particularly relative to NZ First but he suspected other parties received donations from the corporate fishing companies too.
Labour/National Donors?
“It’d be interesting to see Labour and National’s donors,” added Alan Simmons.
It had been revealed that NZ First had blocked a move to put observation cameras on commercial fishing boats.
“I also know that the more ethical fisheries scientists in the Ministry of Fisheries are frustrated by management being hamstrung by the power of the corporates interfering and influencing. After all the fishery is a public resource and the public interest should be paramount,” he said.
The NZ Outdoors Party will block political donations from anyone who is not registered to vote. This will block donations from corporations and from overseas interests.
“We need to take every opportunity to remind our elected representatives that they represent the people of New Zealand” says Sue Grey.
© Where does he public’s recreational fishing stand against corporate might, money and influence on fisheries management ?
