And everyone you voted in, voted for this.

[drcuriosity]

Parliament has passed the wide-ranging Canterbury Earthquake Response and Recovery Act. This allows the government to override a number of laws as it desires, without public or parliamentary oversight. It will stay in force until April 2012.

http://nzccl.org.nz/content/concerns-over-quake-emergency-powers-law

The legislation allows Government ministers to make exemptions to, or suspend, almost every law on the statute books, in order to fast track recovery from the earthquake in Canterbury.

http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/political/56880/quake-law-described-as-unprecedented

Brownlee’s ‘recommendations’ as section 6 (3) of the Act calls them, “may not be challenged, reviewed, quashed, or called into question in any court.” The only things Brownlee cannot over-ride at the flick of his hand are habeas corpus, the New Zealand Bill of Rights, our right to vote, and the 1688 Bill of Rights. The Human Rights Act has been left off that shortlist.

http://gordoncampbell.scoop.co.nz/2010/09/15/gordon-campbell-the-christchurch-earthquake-law/

The law in question:
http://www.legislation.govt.nz/bill/government/2010/0215/latest/whole.html

What the Hell, people.

Comments

[marsden-online.livejournal.com]

[Mutter grumble Wigram mutter never voted for any of 'em didn't make any difference not convinced it would have anyway mutter grumble]

OK you could technically say my party vote for the Greens contributed, but they've had some turnover since the last election.

[drcuriosity]

While editing before posting, I deliberately changed it to "everyone you voted in" from "everyone you voted for", for that reason.

[drcuriosity]

Indeed. And Gerry Brownlee is one of the politicians I trust the least, too. When talking at the university, I've seen him weasel away from questions he didn't want to answer, and sometimes directly abusing the people who pressed him for answers.

[drcuriosity]

Not at all. Please do!

[poeticalpanther.livejournal.com]

Yeep! Wonder how long he'd had those plans in the making. :/

[beagl.livejournal.com]

Apparently it's a modified version of the 2006 Epidemic Preparedness Act - with more power and less restrictions.

http://pundit.co.nz/content/canterburys-earthquake-is-worse-than-an-infestation-of-zombies

[poeticalpanther.livejournal.com]

Not surprising, I guess. After seeing what the Shrub got away with under the Patriot Act, conservative pols all over the world must have been practically salivating for an emergency they have the chance to use. :/

[beagl.livejournal.com]

Nah, we don't need to be inspired by the US, we could do this all on our own.

Did you know that in New Zealand in 1951 it was illegal to feed starving women and children.... if their husbands were part of the waterfront strike?

[poeticalpanther.livejournal.com]

(Googles quickly)

Charming! Nice to know Canada's not alone in having some shameful past to pretend didn't happen. :/

[hep.livejournal.com]

awe you guys got your very own patriot act!

in all srsness: sry guys this sucks :(

[wootduosmaster.livejournal.com]

Ok, so, this sucks.

But how do we fix it?

[caycos.livejournal.com]

I still reckon a nation-wide popular vote of no-confidence.

[mrangel.livejournal.com]

Rise up and smash the state. There is the theory that the curfews and bringing in the army were because Parker, Brownlee, et al. wanted to feel like big men handling a real emergency like on the TV, with looting and riots and all, rather than the boring getting on with cleaning up they got, but it's not to late to give them what they were asking for.

[el-gremmo.livejournal.com]

And this is why I love you, man.

[drcuriosity]

I'd start with writing to your electorate MP and political parties to let them know that you don't like it. What to do next depends on how they react to the expression of our dismay at their actions.

[winterdenni.livejournal.com]

It seems that National were like "That Patriot Act the US has is pretty crazy... I wonder if we can top it?"

[morte-o-merce.livejournal.com]

And now you know why I have my political philosophy.

!

[angryangeltoo.livejournal.com]

This kind of "Martial Law" was a common idea in the eighties during the Cold War. American States had some particuarly peculiar ones in case the world went to hell in a handbag. At one point there was a pretty common thread throughout such Emergency Laws that in cases of disaster The Military would take over for a time. But blimey! This guy is overeacting. Does he think he is in a disaster movie?

My mum was a nurse throughout the seventies and eighties, she still has her letter given to her by the Government stating that in the event of Nuclear War our family would be taken to the nearest Government Nuclear Bunker, which in our case was Salisbury Planes as she was classed as an essential skill and would be needed to build the Brave New World!
I think our generation has been very lucky in that despite comming very close to all out Nuclear War we have never actually experienced it.