Parliament's Justice Committee thinks it would be wrong for courts to force people to say sorry if they say untrue things about judges. So why should Parliament be able to force people to say sorry if they say untrue things about MPs?
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Why we have a beef with the new anti-rustling laws, and perhaps you should too (2 of 2)
The Government created new anti-rustling criminal offences by adding them late in the law-making process, bypassing the normal process for public consultation. This post raises questions about the merits of the offences.
Read MoreWhy we have a beef with the new anti-rustling laws, and perhaps you should too (1 of 2)
The Government has created 2 new criminal offences aimed at cattle rustling. These have been generally well received. But there are reasons to be concerned, both about the laws themselves, and about the process by which they were made. This post focuses on what’s concerning about that, and is followed by another questioning the changes themselves.
Read MoreIt is not contrary to reason to prefer the destruction of the whole world to the scratching of my finger
National's decision to collapse a select committee meeting to make some sort of point may or may not be good politics. But it is bad for our parliamentary processes and long term constitutional culture.
Read MoreProtecting the umpire
Did you know that Parliament could imprison you for saying that Trevor Mallard is biased in favour of Jacinda Ardern over Simon Bridges? But it (almost certainly) won't.
Read MoreYou're not the boss of me now
The Supreme Court has this week released a judgment that not only raises issues for the Crown’s settlement negotiations with Hauraki, but it also marks a shift in how the Court sees its relationship with Parliament.
Read MoreThen they came for the Ballet Teachers… (or did they?)
An Attorney-General's Report that says a Government-supported Bill is an unjustifiable restriction on freedom of expression, claims of a ban on the phrase "ballet teacher", none of which turns out to be that exciting after all (probably).
Read MoreDon't say a prayer for me now... but should we save it for some time after?
When Trevor Mallard read out a new, revised prayer at the start of parliament this year, I started writing about some of the questions it raised for me. It's taken a while to get it down, but I wonder whether we shouldn't be giving this some deeper thought
Read MoreSimon Bridges thinks that Simon Bridges is eroding parliamentary democracy
Changes to parliamentary procedure that Simon Bridges helped craft and then explicitly championed while in Government now appear to be bad for National in opposition. So Simon Bridges thinks that they are the worst attack on democratic rights we have ever seen.
Read MoreWhy Voters Will Be Disappointed by the Election Outcome.
New Zealand’s electoral system gives it a parliament which represents voters. Its winner-takes-all executive government, however, remains unrepresentative.* (This is a follow on from the earlier column on coalitions.)
Read MoreDid Murray McCully mislead Parliament?
If Murray McCully told Parliament that MFAT told him legal risk justified the Saudi Sheep deal, then why does MFAT say they never told him that?
Read MoreA little bit more on Winston's proposed referendums
Winston Peters says his price for government is two binding referendums. If we believe him, which we probably shouldn't, then let's note some more problems with his proposal.
Read MoreOut of the biscuit tin, into the House
It's a quirky part of our lawmaking processes that important legislative developments may depend upon the right token getting pulled out of a biscuit tin. Today it was the turn of Euthanasia/Aid in Dying and Medicinal Marijuana to come out.
Read MoreTaylor strikes again (but still has no right to take his place in the human race)
The Court of Appeal has upheld Arthur Taylor's challenge to the ban on prisoner voting under the NZ Bill of Rights Act ... except that he personally shouldn't have been able to bring the case in the first place, and he still won't be able to vote. But still - exciting!
Read MoreI really can't believe I'm having to say this again ...
Nuk Korako either doesn't understand what his own members bill would do, or he is misleading Parliament.
Read MoreWorst. Members. Bill. Ever.
Nuk Korako's Airport Authorities (Publicising Lost Property Sales) Amendment Bill doesn't do what it says it is intended to do, doesn't need to be in the form that it is, and is intended purely to prevent other more worthy pieces of legislation from being debated. National's 50th ranked list MP is really proving his worth here.
Read MoreAnd we're off! Policy & polls to start 2016
A look at the polls and strategies as the parliamentary year gets under way...
Read MoreParliament is a social media friendly space
Parliament's powerful Privileges Committee has had a hard look at how social media is being used to report on Parliament ... and decided that everything is working pretty much fine as it is. Hooray!
Read MoreGreen and peaceful land
On June 25, Greenpeace New Zealand did an action at Parliament. That afternoon I knew that, were I raising children, it would be as activists
Read MoreWhere to next for aid in dying?
The Seales v Attorney General decision was a pretty comprehensive legal loss for proponents of aid in dying. But it is by no means the last word on the matter.
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