Ministerial arrogance reaches critical levels
Stuff reports:
Green Party co-founder Jeanette Fitzsimons says the Greens could reject the controversial waka jumping bill without bringing down the Government.
The Electoral (Integrity) Amendment Bill – widely known as the “waka jumping bill” – is currently in select committee after passing its first reading with the support of Labour, NZ First, and the Greens.
A vast majority – 41 of 43 – submitters rejected the bill’s core structure. …
Justice Minister Andrew Little said of the submissions he had read he was surprised by how many were flawed.
“I haven’t seen any convincing arguments to change much.”
Okay get this. Little is basically saying most of the submitters are stupid and don’t even understand the proposed law. Let’s look at who these submitters include:
- The Clerk of the House
- Dr Edward Willis, PhD in constitutional law
- Dr Christine Dann, founding member of the Green Party
- The Human Rights Commission
- Sir Lockwood Smith, former Speaker
- 19 legal and political science academics including Andrew Geddis (textbook author on electoral law) and Philip Joseph (textbook author on constitutional law)
- The Legislation Design and Advisory Committee
- Keith Locke, former Green MP
- Graeme Edgeler, electoral law expert and pedant
- Jeanette Fitzsimons, former Green co-leader
- NZ Law Society
- Professor Janet McLean, constitutional law professor at Auckland Uni
- Professor Jack Vowles, Professor of political science at VUW
- Rt Hon David Carter, former Speaker
Now it is one thing to say you disagree with a submission. But the Justice Minister has dismissed the submissions as being flawed which is basically saying they don’t understand the bill.
It’s an incredibly arrogant attitude, and shows that Labour is determined to pass this bill no matter what.