Free Press

ACT’s regular bulletin

Our Thoughts and Sympathy
This edition of Free Press is dedicated to the victims of the Paris terror attacks and their friends and families.

Joie de Vivre
Thugs in Paris have managed to take lives, but they cannot defeat the joy of life celebrated with such diversity in a free and open society. That must deeply annoy the thugs, but they still threaten us.

It’s Ideological
Even the most evil communist and fascist empires wanted to be alive and prosperous. The difficulty was that they wanted to do it at our expense. Those responsible for the Paris attacks place no value on life on earth. They’ll put it aside in an instant if your view of the world differs from theirs, and if they think they can enrich their afterlife.

For the Record
The cost of being able to speak freely is that you have will be offended from time to time. Spirituality is a private matter. We treat men and women equally. Sexuality is a private matter. We dress however we like. We treat people equally regardless of race. We believe anybody can do anything they’re capable of doing.

Europe’s Foible
Europe for too long has bought into the narrative of cultural and moral relativism, that the idea that there are many sets of values and they’re all equal. Ironically they now have significant numbers of residents who believe only one belief system should prevail. The same people are at odds with the values of freedom and tolerance that have made European countries attractive destinations in the first place.

Stating our Values
The only way to fight an ideology is with a better one. Thankfully we already have our western liberal tradition, but we need to state it more clearly. Free Press has argued in previous weeks that New Zealand should require all immigrants to sign a New Zealand Values Statement, as Australia does. We don’t think such a statement will keep us safe, but it is one costless thing we can do to explicitly affirm that we are a free and tolerant society.

Debasing Parliament
ACT made no comment on the shambolic week in Parliament last week, because there was little to add. Kelvin Davis should not have accosted the Prime Minister in the halls of Parliament when there is a whole debating chamber and special times of the week set aside for that purpose. The events that followed were regrettable but Free Press believes none of them would have happened were they not triggered by Davis’ stunt.

Values Again
We are fortunate that politics in New Zealand is the exchange of ideas, and that we’ve evolved good institutions such as Parliament for exchanging them. Without a written constitution our institutions rely on convention, goodwill, and a sense of fair play. In light of his stunt Free Press has been forced to reconsider its campaign to make Davis Leader of the Labour Party.

Auckland Governance
ACT supports continuous improvement in the law, rather than the prevailing set-and-forget mentality. After five years of the Super City we believe it is time to reopen Auckland’s governance. Residents are frustrated with rates, but also the remoteness and unresponsiveness of the Auckland Council from everyday affairs. ACT’s Auckland Region conference next month is themed on Local Government.

Some Good News
Partnership Schools are going from strength to strength with the opponents slowly giving up hope that the policy will not be a permanent fixture on the New Zealand education landscape. This inspiring video from South Auckland Middle School bookends an otherwise sad Free Press.

ENDS

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