Backbenches un-earths backroom deal?

The ACT Party breached its own principles of "individual freedom" when it supported the Whanganui Gang Insignia Bill in what appears to be a political deal to get ACT's Three Strikes Bill passed, Green Party MP Metiria Turei said today.

Last night on TVNZ7's political show Backbenches, Rodney Hide commented that ACT had supported the Whanganui Bill to "get Three Strikes through".

"In 2006 Mr Hide was positively sneering at Chester Borrows attempt to ban gang patches. Now it seems ACT has done a backroom deal with National, exchanging the party's own principles to advance its legislative agenda," said Mrs Turei. "The Three Strikes Bill has already had its first reading, so one can only assume that when Mr Hide says 'get Three Strikes through' he means National will support ACT in passing the Bill into law."

The Three Strikes legislation had already generated discomfort within the ACT Party, Mrs Turei noted: "ACT MP David Garrett was reported this week as wanting New Zealand's Bill of Rights changed because his Three Strikes Bill unsurprisingly failed a Bill of Rights vet and that's drawn criticism from ACT stalwarts.

"Mr Hide should explain whether his Party puts principle ahead of politics or the other way round."

ACT candidate Lindsay Mitchell has criticised Mr Garrett and said in response to ACT's support for the Whanganui Gang Insignia Bill: "I understand that being in government comes at a price. But it's just getting too expensive for this supporter."

A report from the Attorney-General showed that Mr Garrett's Bill was inconsistent with the section of the Bill Of Rights that protects New Zealanders from cruel, degrading or disproportionately severe punishment.

Mrs Turei said ACT appears caught in a contradiction: "It seems the so-called party of personal freedom forever at war with "nanny state" now wants the Government to prescribe dress for New Zealanders. There are more effective ways to tackle crime."

Link to Act candidate Lindsay Mitchell's blog http://www.lindsaymitchell.blogspot.com/

Link to Rodney Hide's 2006 Blog on the Whanganui Bill http://www.act.org.nz/blog/rodney-hide/special-laws-for-wanganui

Backbenches - 04 March 2009
http://tvnzondemand.co.nz/content/back_benches_s2_ep3/ondemand_video_skin

ENDS

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