The Labour government is out of control and going rogue.

“The Labour government has shown how out of control and undemocratic it has become by trying to entrench Three Waters legislation and preventing public input,” says New Conservative co-leader and criminal lawyer Ted Johnston BSc BA LLB.

This defies the parliamentary convention that only electoral law should be entrenched. Labour has once again shown it is willing to abuse that extreme power and to lock later governments into Labour’s current policies.

We see very few conscience votes now and Labour's new abuse is to put a straightjacket on future governments.

New Zealand’s parliamentary system has long suffered from a lack of constitutional checks and balances, but all the changes made recently show a rogue government that believes once it has been voted in, that it has a public mandate to impose whatever it pleases.

The select committee process has been treated as a joke when passing many recent laws:

• Firearms laws were passed allowing only one day for public submissions.
• Public opposition to the new abortion law was silenced by blocking 95% of submitters who requested to make oral submissions and rushing the law through as we plunged into the first Level 4 lockdown, ensuring people were both distracted and unable to protest.
• Officials were blocked from even reviewing 68,661 of the submissions opposing this Three Waters legislation.

It has been commonplace to rush through controversial laws under urgency, dismiss overwhelming public opposition, and make critical last-minute changes to legislation like this, in order to bypass public scrutiny.

The “most transparent government” is renowned for its disgraceful propaganda campaigns, disrespect for official information processes, and unwillingness to talk to any but the most friendly media.

It is not acceptable for the government to sidestep the democratic process and then entrench legislation for minor ideological and economic matters, requiring a “supermajority” for any changes by a future government. This locks future governments into following Labour’s economic and social ideology, but hopefully is not likely to be upheld by the courts.

The real problem is that without proper controls such as the Bill of Rights becoming supreme law, there are almost no restrictions on government power. What we have seen from this government is just the start - the abuses will continue to escalate unless something is done to prevent it.

The so-called opposition shows no ability or desire to control this abuse. They merely make a few rumbling noises. This abuse is systemic and always a danger, whichever party is in power. The unbridled power of Parliament must be leashed. It is not right, democratic, or acceptable in modern New Zealand.

New Conservative is seeking to protect our rights and democracy by preventing future governments from removing our basic rights and freedoms. Making the Bill of Rights Act supreme law is the simplest and most effective way to control parliamentary power and protect the public. Please sign and share our petition to do that.

We must stop Labour and successive governments from abusing our parliament. We must protect our freedoms and rights, our sovereignty and independence, our quality of life and cost of living, our safety, and the right to decide for our families what we believe is right and wrong.

“It is time for a new vision and a new party to be in Parliament,” says New Conservative co-leader Ted Johnston.

“Only New Conservative will stand up for ordinary New Zealanders.”

ENDS

Ted Johnston
New Conservative co-leader