MEDIA RELEASE
12 March 2013
Asset Sales Referendum Doomed – Fix Law First
“Labour and Greens will simply be whistling in the wind.” – Family First

Family First NZ, one of the promoters of the anti-smacking law referendum, says that the asset sales referendum being presented by Labour and the Greens today is doomed to fail because the current law says any result is non-binding on the government.

“From experience with the anti-smacking referendum - which resulted in an overwhelming rejection of the law yet the government being able to simply ignore the electorate’s wishes - the stage is set for a huge amount of effort with this latest referendum and nothing to show at the end of it,” says Bob McCoskrie, National Director of Family First NZ.

“Labour and the Greens should first be seeking to change the law so that referendums are binding on Governments. Otherwise they will simply be ‘whistling in the wind’.”

“It seems slightly ironic that they want the government to listen now – yet were deaf on the previous referendum.”

“If important family issues can pass the very high threshold of almost 300,000 valid signatures and then, for example, a greater-than-2/3’rds majority after the public debate, then parliament should be bound by the result. Unfortunately politicians have been able to simply ignore the views of NZ’ers on issues such as law and order, parenting, and the number of MP’s,” says Mr McCoskrie.

“Government accountability should be able to happen regularly and on individual issues – not just once every three years.”

(An independent poll of 1,000 people in 2011 found 2:1 support in favour of binding referenda. 53% favoured making CIR binding on Parliament, with 28% against and 19% unsure or refusing to say. Family First NZ supports binding referendums with a 2/3rds majority when voting.)

ENDS

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"Unlawful, Unjustified And Unreasonable": Report Into Urewera Raids Finds Police Acted Unlawfully

Independent Police Conduct Authority Chair Judge Sir David Carruthers said today that the decision by the then Commissioner of Police to undertake the operation in Ruatoki Valley and elsewhere on 15 October 2007 was reasonable and justified.

“However, the road blocks established by Police at Ruatoki and Taneatua were unlawful, unjustified and unreasonable... Police had no legal basis for stopping and searching vehicles or photographing drivers or passengers,” he said...

The report also showed that the detention of the occupants at five properties examined by the Authority was unlawful and unreasonable. More>>