A fascinating interview on Nine to Noon this morning – Kathryn Ryan with Jonathan Temm, President of the Law Society, on what the Society sees as the government’s disturbing trend to pass laws that threaten the “rule of law” in New Zealand because they cut out scrutiny from parliament, people and the courts. The specifics are the removal of the democratically elected Environment Council in Canterbury, the special earthquake legislation, and the rugby world cup legislation. It’s careful, timely, and important – here’s where you can listen to it here.
You can also hear the little General (Attorney that is) patronise Kathryn in response, having been dragged out of a meeting to try to hose it all down.
I think the Law Society should be congratulated for their principled stance. Somebody needs to be raising these issues regularly, especially with what we can expect to be a major onslaught on MMP in the next election. The last thing New Zealand needs is another single-party government that let loose the likes of Robert Muldoon, Roger Douglas and Ruth Richardson. They did enormous damage, and these laws add to other disturbing hints that National would like to rule alone again.
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