Judith Collins and the Bain of her ministerial career...

.

Source

.

It must be true; David Bain has an enemy in the current National Cabinet. Someone (Collins?) has taken it upon her (his) self to ride roughshod over the Privy Council, the re-trial, and retired Canadian judge Ian Binnie, to come to their own conclusions.

If anyone ever wondered what it would be like to have political control of our judicial system – this is pretty damned close to it.

“Justice” Minister Judith Collins is quite openly holding up David Bain’s claim for compensation for wrongful imprisonment.

After publicly trashing retired Canadian judge Ian Binnie’s Report into the matter – along with his reputation – Collins sought a “peer-review” from Robert Fisher, QC.

Fisher duly rubbished Binnie’s report and recommendation for compensation as “flawed” (see:  Bain compo recommended but Binnie report ‘flawed‘). In turn, Fisher’s “peer review” was rubbished – evidently he hadn’t read up on the Bain case!

Months have passed, it appears that Collins is stonewalling. Evidently, a final decision is yet more “months away”.

Now there is talk of Collins requesting another “independent” review.

Well, I hope she’s not going to be looking overseas. After National’s crass, insulting behaviour over Justice Binnie, I doubt any other Jurist would take up an offer from this current National government.

Instead there is talk of an “independent panel”.

Oh, really? How independent? Not too independent, I think – Commissar Collins might not like it.

And if an Independent Panel came to the same conclusion as Justice Binnie – what then? Best of five – two more “independent reviews”!?

If an independent panel deliverers the “wrong” result, perhaps Collins could ramp up the decision-making process. Perhaps a nationwide referendum? We could poll all 4.4 million New Zealanders whether or not to pay Bain?

If we go down the referendum road, it should be a low-cost affair. After all, the Nats are struggling to balance the books and are practically taking money from schoolboys and girls doing paper rounds. So a referendum should be done on the cheap.

Maybe via electronic means?

Facebook!?

Imagine deciding a human being’s fate – by just a click -  *Like* or *Don’t Like*.

The Village Mob, 21st century-style.

.

.

Thank the gods for progress.

[Note to National: This blogpost was mainly satirical and suggestions to use Facebook, or any other electronic means, to determine whether or not Bain should be compensated were an exercise in satire. My suggestion is, quite simply; stop farting about and PAY the man!]

.

*

.

References

Radio NZ: Minister not ruling out new report on Bain claim

Dominion Post: Bain compensation decision months away

Other Blogs

The Pundit: Crowdsourcing the Binnie report (and the Fisher report on the Binnie report …)

.

= fs =

About these ads