A good speech by Cullen

Michael Cullen delivered a speech to the Human Rights Commission Forum on Tuesday.

It is a good speech, and the part I especially agree with is:

” have been asked to speak on the human rights aspects of the foreshore and seabed debate, and to get us off to a good start I would like to begin by challenging a common assumption about human rights protections in New Zealand. If I were to ask you to name the primary body that protects the human rights of New Zealanders, there are many who would immediately answer: the Human Rights Commission, or perhaps the Courts.

Without any disrespect to either of these institutions, I have to say that this belief is wrong. The primary body which protects human rights in this country is in fact the New Zealand Parliament.”

Another good section is “Whenever judicial officers stray towards making the law we run into trouble, not because their views are wrong