Comments on: Monday Night: John Boscawen, Bob McCoskrie and Jim Evans on Amending s59

By: Chuck Bird

Chuck Bird — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 22:36:56 +0000

Glenn, the meeting went well. Larry highlighted the problem but I do not think he has the total solution but I think he has part of it.

I believe referenda have their place but have their limitations and downside.

Larry correctly indemnified the problem. New Zealand has neither a second house or binding referenda. While I strongly support referenda to veto moral legislation that used to be put to a conscience vote, referenda has some definite drawbacks. Prof Richard Ekins explains these very well.

http://www.maxim.org.nz/index.cfm/media/article?id=1930

In the nine years of the Clark government too much moral or maybe immoral legislative has been passed which I believe would have been vetoed if put to a referendum.

I believe that Larry’s idea of a referendum on binding referenda is flawed because of the main problem of CIR – getting the wording correct.

If the government will not consider binding referendum except when they chose the legislation I hope that ACT will carefully consider such policy drawing on expert opinion.

By: Chuck Bird

Chuck Bird — Sun, 06 Sep 2009 03:11:28 +0000

It is great to see that Larry Baldock will also be speaking at the meeting. The important thing is to get law change so that parents who choose to smack their children occasionally are not committing a criminal offence as they are at present.

By: Glenn

Glenn — Sun, 06 Sep 2009 02:58:45 +0000

Talk is SO cheap. This is the PM who endorsed Chester Borrows’ ammendment because the law needs to be crystal clear, and now says that the law can be as clear as mud, but we shouldn’t worry because he will tell the police what to do.

I hope Larry’s appearance doesn’t lead the issue to be distracted to his push for binding referenda. That would be a disaster.
.-= My last blog-post ..No, Mr Baldock, not this time: Should referenda be binding on Parliament? =-.

By: Madeleine

Madeleine — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 23:59:08 +0000

He said the same thing at last years Family First Forum before he was elected. Back then, when asked if elected would he change the law, he said ‘get that referendum to happen.’

Talk is cheap.
.-= My last blog-post ..Contra Mundum: What’s Wrong with Imposing your Beliefs onto Others? =-.

By: Chuck Bird

Chuck Bird — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 23:51:15 +0000

The Prime Minister has acknowledged that the current Section 59 is a complete and utter dog’s breakfast. He did so in an interview with Michael Laws on RadioLive at about 11:40 am on Friday, 4 September.

http://section59.blogspot.com/2009/09/key-knows-its-bad-law.html