The Government's changes to electoral legislation to stop 'party hopping' are an anti-democratic breach of free speech, National's Electoral Issues spokesperson Tony Ryall said today.

Associate Justice Minister Margaret Wilson today tabled the Government's Supplementary Order Paper to the Electoral (Integrity) Amendment Bill, 10 months after Parliament started debating the select committee report on the Bill.

"The Government's attempts to muzzle its own Maori caucus and rebel MPs shouldn't be forced on all of Parliament.

"This Bill is nothing more than a stick Miss Clark can use to keep her own troops in line. It is yet another way Miss Clark can force her own opinion on everyone else.

"The stance taken on issues by Electorate MPs is tested every three years by the only people that should count - their electorate.

"It is wrong for Parliament to subvert that process by making an MP more accountable to their party leader than to the people that elected them.

"National is strongly opposed to this legislation," Mr Ryall said.

Ends

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Gordon Campbell: On the Sony cyber attack

Given the layers of meta-irony involved, the saga of the Sony cyber attack seemed at the outset more like a snarky European art film than a popcorn entry at the multiplex.

Yet now with (a) President Barack Obama weighing in on the side of artistic freedom and calling for the US to make a ‘proportionate response’quickly followed by (b) North Korea’s entire Internet service going down, and with both these events being followed by (c) Sony deciding to backtrack and release The Interview film that had made it a target for the dastardly North Koreans in the first place, then ay caramba…the whole world will now be watching how this affair pans out. More>>