cronyism at its worst
DPF alerts everyone to the fact that Val Sim has been appointed to the Law Commission by Mark Burton. You`ve never heard of her but you know what she has done.
She made the decision that Burton's Electoral Finance Bill does not breach the Bill of Rights. Nearly every other lawyer disagreed.
This is pretty disgraceful. Helen Clark wants to refer the bill to the Law Commission to fix it up. Geoffrey Palmer, who is on the Commission, didn't want to be an advisor to the Government on the bill - so what the Government has done is made sure there is someone on the Commission that will tell the Government what it wants to hear so they can trumpet that “advice" in Parliament.
Who better than the person who provided the Crown Law opinion in the first place.
What does ths mean for the Bill of Rights?
Well, Crown Law “acknowledges that the issues are finely balanced”, but concludes that “the regulation of the electoral system ultimately depends upon political judgments and is an area in which a wide margin of appreciation is afforded to Parliament.” In other words the Bill of Rights Act is to be interpreted how Labour wants it to be interpreted and Parliament should back any such interpretation up.
So will the Law Commission now formally agree to this opinion?
5 comments:
You`ve never heard of her but you know what she has done.
I've heard of her alright.
More than anyone else, she is responsible for the Peter Ellis debacle, through her constant advice to successive ministers of justice that the case against him was kosher.
Dear David
The corruption just gets worse and worse.
Where is it going to end.
Doesn't Helen Clark know that we the people are going to ask for Val Sim's head.
This is a pojnsoned chalice for Val Sim as her name will be known as a Corrupt practice by Helen Clark.
MikeNZ
Long after Helen is off swanning it with the UN after shes sacked fin ally by the NZ people.
So much for New Zealand being the "least corrupt country in the world". Not only is the government breathtaking in its stupidity in this appointment (and in the whole EFB process), but worse, breathtaking in its arrogance in expecting us once again to just roll over and accept that Nanny State knows best. Kill the Bill!
If you`re wondering what KIll the BIll is read
http://www.killthebill.org.nz/
Val Sim may have written the Crown Law Opinion complying with the instructions of the Attorney General, but if you are to criticize her you should also look at Joanna Davidson, Crown Counsel, who peer reviewed the Val Sim opinion.
They are both in bed with this together..
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