‘There appears to be a growing undercurrent of disillusionment with New Zealand’s system of representative democracy. Some are saying our elected members of parliament are turning their backs on voters who put them into office. Instead of representing the public’s views, they are displaying an appalling arrogance by belittling those who dare to voice a contrary opinion.
Unfortunately, this arrogant disregard of the public view is becoming all too common. The ban on smacking, Labour’s passing of the Electoral Finance Act to stop anti-government campaigning in the lead up to the 2008 general election, and National’s introduction of the unpopular, unaffordable and pointless emissions trading scheme were all were enacted against the wishes of the wider public. And now it’s happening with the Marine and Coastal Area Bill. Submissions and polls show the public are overwhelmingly opposed to the new law, but through a shabby deal, National, the Maori Party and Peter Dunne appear determined to force it through.
That National wants to pass this racist bill in spite of the Prime Minister’s promise that he would not change the law if the public were opposed, is an affront to democracy. It represents an intolerable abuse of the parliamentary process and demonstrates that when a government goes off the rails, our democratic system is completely lacking in checks and balances to protect the public interest…’
The rest HERE. And it’s a sane voice that’s desperately needed in NZ politics today.
