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Arbitrary Detention Just Around The Corner

Libertarianz Health Deregulation spokesman Richard McGrath said his party is horrified by the implications of the Intellectual Disability (Compulsory Care) Bill.

"According to the national president of IHC," says McGrath, "this bill would permit the rounding up and internment of people with intellectual disabilities based only on allegations by members of the public made against others they consider mentally unstable."

"This proposal sanctions the imprisonment of innocent people on the vague premise that they might just some day break the law," said a horrified McGrath. "What we have here is a proposal to incarcerate anyone the government diagnoses as intellectually disabled for crimes they have not yet committed, and might never have commited."

"The sponsors of this bill should think carefully about the precedent this would set," McGrath concludes. "If the mentally ill are going to be locked up because the ruling class don't like the look of them, which minority group will be the next targets?"

ENDS

Dr Richard McGrath Deputy Leader, Libertarianz Fax 06 377 3070 mongrel@winz.co.nz

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