Court Action Against Electoral Finance Bill
I wish this initiative, the best of luck.
From the ACT Party newsletter "Action."
November 5 will see the opening round of a legal challenge to fascinate even the most hardened of political and legal observers.
Epsom's 05 campaign guru, John Boscawen, has filed papers in the Wellington High Court seeking a judicial review of Attorney General Michael Cullen's report to Parliament that the Electoral Finance Bill does not breach the Bill of Rights - a view that contrasts the opinion of the Human Rights Commission that the Bill "represents a dramatic assault on two fundamental human rights that New Zealanders cherish - freedom of expression, and the right of informed citizens to participate in the election process."
Mr Boscawen has been joined in his fight by ACT Leader Rodney Hide, the Sensible Sentencing Trust's Garth McVicar and Grey Power's Graham Stairmand.
The case is potentially very serious - should the High Court rule against the Attorney General, that the Electoral Finance Bill does indeed breach the Bill of Rights Act, there will be huge pressure on the Government's support to oppose the Bill. Given the tenuous grip that it has on the Treasury benches, Labour need all three - NZ First, United Future and the Greens - to vote for the Bill to see it pass into law.
From the ACT Party newsletter "Action."
November 5 will see the opening round of a legal challenge to fascinate even the most hardened of political and legal observers.
Epsom's 05 campaign guru, John Boscawen, has filed papers in the Wellington High Court seeking a judicial review of Attorney General Michael Cullen's report to Parliament that the Electoral Finance Bill does not breach the Bill of Rights - a view that contrasts the opinion of the Human Rights Commission that the Bill "represents a dramatic assault on two fundamental human rights that New Zealanders cherish - freedom of expression, and the right of informed citizens to participate in the election process."
Mr Boscawen has been joined in his fight by ACT Leader Rodney Hide, the Sensible Sentencing Trust's Garth McVicar and Grey Power's Graham Stairmand.
The case is potentially very serious - should the High Court rule against the Attorney General, that the Electoral Finance Bill does indeed breach the Bill of Rights Act, there will be huge pressure on the Government's support to oppose the Bill. Given the tenuous grip that it has on the Treasury benches, Labour need all three - NZ First, United Future and the Greens - to vote for the Bill to see it pass into law.
posted by Trevor Loudon at
11/04/2007 05:59:00 AM
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