Media release 9 October 2003

Four parties stand up to be counted

Political parties that have stated their intention to vote against the Supreme Court Bill - United Future, National, ACT and NZ First - should be congratulated by all New Zealanders for defending the constitutional process, says Business NZ.

Chief Executive Simon Carlaw said the Government's rush to reconstruct the most senior level of the judicial system based on a slim majority in Parliament was dangerous and could lead to diminished respect for a supreme court.

"This would be a regrettable disservice to the judicial process.

"Business, frequently the deep pocket when judicial decision-making goes astray, has been particularly shabbily treated. Reasoned and reasonable contributions to the debate have been totally ignored.

"The manner in which the Bill has been introduced and bulldozed through can give no confidence in the process of constitutional review which the Government says will come next," Mr Carlaw said.

ENDS

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Gordon Campbell: On The Skewed Media Coverage Of Gaza

Now that he’s back as Foreign Minister, maybe Winston Peters should start reading the MFAT website which is currently celebrating the 25th anniversary of how Kiwis alerted the rest of the world to the genocide in Rwanda. How times have changed ...

In 2023, the government is clutching its pearls because senior Labour MP Damien O’Connor has dared suggest that Gaza’s civilian population - already living under apartheid and subjected to sixteen years of an illegal embargo, and now being herded together and slaughtered indiscriminately amid the destruction of their homes, schools, mosques, and hospitals - are also victims of what amounts to genocide. More