Horizon Polling on Criminalising sea-going protests

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Note: this header-image above was not partof the Polling Questionnaire in any way, shape, or form. Are you paying attention, Slater? Step awaaaaay from the computer terminal…

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As the proposed amendment to the Crown Minerals Bill – which will criminalise sea-going protests  – nears enactment, Horizon Research this week conducted a brief poll on the issue.

The questions – and this blogger’s answers – were as follows…

Firstly, Horizon Research presented a summary of facts which was reasonably impartial and gave the respondent a fairly clear idea as to the issues,

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The first two questions were fairly straight forward, and I gave my answer as “Strongly Opposed” to the proposed law changes.

For me, the amendments to the Crown Minerals bill can be summed up as,

• procedurally flawed, as National ministers make no allowance for public submissions so that people can air their views,
• undemocractic in the extreme,
• draconian in content, and more reminiscent of Putin-era Russia, than a liberal democracy,
• hastily-enacted, making laws that are  inevitably flawed.

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Horizon then asked me to explain why I opposed the proposed legislative amendment. (Bad mistake – I’m not shy in expressing my views)

Thankfully there was no word limit in the field. I responded accordingly,

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The next question was fairly complex, with multiple options for answers. I had to pick each option carefully,

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The following question was easy to answer,

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The next question was a follow-up with a request to explain my previous response,

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This one was obvious,

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Also a straight forward question,

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And this question really allowed me to ‘let rip’ with my thoughts on this issue,

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An incoming Labour-Green government  will have a full legislative agenda, repealing many of  National’s undemocratic laws. As with the “Hobbit Law” (which Labour has pledged to repeal – see: Labour vows to repeal Hobbit Law), there are many pieces of legislation which have no place in a liberal democracy, and should be binned as soon as Labour Ministers are sworn into office.

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It would be interesting to learn who the client  (if any) was for this poll.

Continuede at: Horizon Polling on Criminalising sea-going protests – Part Rua

Addendum

In what has been one of the fastest pieces of law-making in New Zealand’s history,  the Crown Minerals (Permitting and Crown Land) Amendment Bill passed its third reading in Parliament at 4.30pm today (16 April)  by 61 votes to 59. Next step; the Bill will proceed to  the Governor General for assent and become law.

This ain’t democracy, folks. This is government-by-decree.

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References

NZ Herald: Protester law avoids public submissions and Bill of Rights vetting  (3 April 2013)

Previous related blogpost

Meanwhile, back on Planet Key

To be followed up at The Daily Blog

See upcoming blogpost:  National’s disdain for democracy and dissent

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