ACT Would Abolish Role of Human Rights Commissioner

“The announcement of Paul Hunt as Chief Human Rights Commissioner is the latest appointment to an unnecessary, overpaid, taxpayer-funded job,” says ACT Leader David Seymour.

“Apart from sporadically telling New Zealanders what to think, say, and do, there appears to be little point to the role of the Human Rights Commissioner.

“The Acting Human Rights Commissioner was completely silent during the Massey University-Dr Don Brash debacle, failing to stand up for one of the most basic human rights of all, free speech.

“Whenever I’ve approached the Commission to support my constituents with genuine human rights issues they have been ineffective, and yet they’re always happy to lecture us about human rights.

“The Commission itself only pays lip service to human rights and seems unable to uphold the same standards it asks of other New Zealand organisations after a groping scandal within the Commission caused the resignation of the last Commissioner in May this year.

“The position is a farce and does nothing to improve human rights in New Zealand.

“ACT would get rid of jobs created by politicians with no justifiable existence and would start with the Human Rights Commissioner.”

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