Greens think NZ is shameful when it comes to human rights

The Greens have said:

UN inquiry highlights NZ’s shameful human rights record

The Greens really think New Zealand has a shameful record on human rights? Isn’t that the sort of rhetoric and language you expect to hear about repressive regimes. Is that really what the Greens think of New Zealand?

Of course NZ is not perfect when it comes to human rights. But we have an incredibly strong and proud record with human rights – better I’d say than almost every other country on Earth. Yet the Greens think our record is shameful.

Well how do we rank internationally:

• Freedom rating 1 (top rating)  Freedom House
• Civil Liberties rating 1 (top rating)  Freedom House
• Political Rights rating 1 (top rating)  Freedom House
• Human Freedom – 1st/123 – Free the World
• Press Freedom – 8th/179 – Reporters without Borders
• Democratic Authority – 10/10 (top rating) – Polity
• Freedom Meta-Index – 1st/173 Free Existence (for freedom of expression, from corruption and property rights)
• Democracy Index – 5th/167 Economist
• International Human Rights Rank Indicator – 12th/208 – GNRD

So again, this is what the Greens call a shameful record.

Rather ironic also to have the Greens go on about human rights, when they proudly supported the Electoral Finance Bill and Act, and were the only party to vote against its repeal.