The Green Party has launched a petition calling on the Government to keep its hands off voting rights.

“We cannot allow this Government to rob New Zealanders of their democratic rights,” says the Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson.

“Make no mistake, the Government is making calculated changes to electoral law that erode the democratic rights of regular people and play into the hands of a wealthy few.

“By blocking voters and also opening the floodgates for anonymous donations from the rich, this Government is distorting the settings of our democracy in their favour.

“Who gets to vote and who gets to influence Parliament, decides the future of our country. These laws slam the door on everyday people while rolling out the red carpet for wealthy donors who bankroll parties in this Coalition Government.

“We are calling on the Prime Minister and the Minister of Justice to drop this anti-democratic legislation.

“A Green Government will reverse these rollbacks: restoring same-day enrolment, reinstating voting rights for prisoners, cleaning up campaign finance and extending the vote to 16-year-olds.

“Democracy is for everyone, we should be expanding voting and participation, not restricting it,” says Marama Davidson.

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