16 July, 2004

Court teaches ACT a lesson in democracy

Green Party Co-leader, Rod Donald says he is delighted that the Court of Appeal has blocked the ACT Party's attempt to evict Donna Awatere Huata from Parliament.

The Court of Appeal ruled today that Mrs Awatere Huata's actions had not amounted to defection, and that ACT could not therefore invoke legislation to have her thrown out of Parliament.

"Whatever you think of Mrs Awatere Huata's behaviour it should be fundamental to our democracy that unless an MP has been convicted of a significant offence, only the voters have the power to elect and un-elect them," said Mr Donald.

"The Green Party has strenuously opposed the Labour-Alliance party-hopping legislation because it gave too much power to party leaders.

"The Court of Appeal decision vindicates our concern. If Donna Awatere Huata hadn't taken her case to the court she would have been kicked out of parliament.

"ACT should be ashamed of its bullying tactics, especially when it originally opposed the legislation just as strenuously and for the same reasons as the Greens. We look forward to this sorry saga coming to an end when the so-called Electoral Integrity Act is repealed at the next election."

ENDS

© Scoop Media

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>>