Human Rights Drongos Owe Me And You $1,200

Monday 23 Aug 2004
Stephen Franks
Press Releases -- Crime & Justice

If there was any justice, Human Rights Review Tribunal members would owe New Zealanders a around $1.2 billion - $1,200 in damages for up to one million Kiwis, including me and every ACT voter, ACT New Zealand Justice Spokesman Stephen Franks said today.

"Tribunal members have caused serious injury to our feelings and humiliation as we grind our teeth in rage and frustration," Mr Franks said.

"What else would ordinary commonsense people feel when they read that the Tribunal ordered compensation to Andrew Ronald MacMillan - one of our most vile rapists and murderers - because his feelings were hurt when he wasn't allowed to see the full content of a letter from the father of a victim of MacMillan's breach of parole?

"Since when was it a human right not to have your feelings hurt? How many idiocies like this must we suffer before the HRRT is smothered in copies of the Privacy Act, and buried in an unmarked grave?

"HRRT members should not have to pay this $1.2 billion on their own. Justice Ministers Phil Goff and Margaret Wilson should share the debt for appointing such drongos.

"I also calculate a discount on what the liability could have been, because they shouldn't have to pay Labour, Green or United Future voters. They are contributorily negligent - if you vote for people who think the law must shelter rapists from hurt feelings, but shouldn't shelter young women from rapists on parole, you deserve any hurt feelings you get.

"The most hurtful lines of the report of this outrage are at the end. Apparently MacMillan was released a year ago, and his whereabouts are unknown.

"Human Rights commissars with a genuine feeling for human rights would have been pursuing the Justice Ministers, demanding that they uphold New Zealanders' right to know where animals like MacMillan are lurking.

"Tribunal members could tell us - presumably MacMillan has told them where he is, so he can collect the $1,200 they've kindly arranged to make him feel better," Mr Franks said.

For more information visit ACT online at http://www.act.org.nz or contact the ACT Parliamentary Office at act@parliament.govt.nz.

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