Where is MP Simon O’Connor’s right to freedom of speech?

Ted Johnston, Co-leader of New Conservative states, “The media and other political parties have no right to call Simon O’Connor’s post stupid, and attack him, merely because they disagree with him. They do not have the right to force him to change his words.”

He has the right to an opinion, as this is a democracy. He has a right to say it is a good day, as others have to say it is not. 

The Supreme Court of the United States made the correct Legal decision. Abortion is a moral social issue, not a constitutional issue. It is a political issue to be handled by politicians and legislation. 

There is no US constitutional right to an abortion, nor was that ever considered when the Constitution was written. The US Supreme Court was never meant to be misused by Judges to push ideological agendas using strange legal contortions and misusing the law.

All the political parties in NZ’s parliament are similarly liberal, supporting the right to kill unborn humans. They hide behind euphemisms and call it freedom of choice. Everything is a choice including ice cream flavour. It hides its cruel reality.

There are an ever increasing number of choices that can be made to prevent conception in the first place. No one is taking the rights to make those choices away from women.

So called ‘Abortion rights’ and ‘Reproductive rights’ are the right to kill another developing human.  New Conservative believes no-one should have the right to kill.  The baby inside the womb is a different person from the mother. It is not just the mother’s body.

NZ’s abortion laws were not debated in proper detail, and there was never a mandate given by the people for one of the most extreme abortion laws in the world. It easily allows abortion up to, and including during, birth. 

Ted Johnston states, “New Conservative believes in the right to life, to live and let live.” It opposes the position of all the socially liberal parties in parliament, from Labour and Greens to National and Act. 

The press and parliament need to remember this is a democracy and O’Connor has every right to speak his mind.  Censorship by political correctness should not be over our MPs. If MPs have no right to free speech, what about the ordinary public? 

Merely because a comment is distressing to some does not give those people the right to demand that the freedom of speech of others be removed. If that was the case, fairness would require that no one ever is able to support or speak in favour of anything that is distressing to others.

Ted Johnston states, “If you believe in the Sanctity of human life, there is only one party to vote for in 2023: ‘New Conservative’.” 

Ted Johnston, BSc BA LLB (Auckland)
Co-Leader New Conservative