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There have been murmurings in frogblog’s comments threads that the Zimbabwe tour might be a new Corngate. This couldn’t be further from the truth.

Apart from the narrow issue of whether legislation should be passed to stop the Black Caps’ tour from going ahead, the Greens have been very happy with the Government’s stance on Zimbabwe. Phil Goff deserves praise for being a strident opponent of the Mugabe regime, and for working through international channels to bring pressure to bear on the odious dictator.

Anyone who doubts Goff’s passion on Zimbabwe, and human rights abuses everywhere, should have a listen to his brilliant speech from the anti-tour rally in Auckland at the weekend. Scoop has the audio here.

The Foreign Affairs Minister said:

Why Zimbabwe? There are many countries around the world in which there is oppression and abuse of human rights. Zimbabwe stands out for particular reasons. It stands out because it was a country that had democracy. It was a country that had rule of law. It was a country that had an independent judiciary and media. It was a wealthy country that could meet the economic and social needs of its people.

All of those things have been lost, not because of colonisation or any other excuse that Mugabe might come up with, but because he has run that country down. He has run that country autocratically. He has run that country for the benefit of his cronies and not for the overwhelming majority of his people.

Why Zimbabwe? Because, in Zimbabwe, for the first time since Pol Pot, we have seen a mass of people rendered homeless, as a deliberate policy of government, and sent out in the countryside where they lack shelter and food.

What should we now do about the situation in Zimbabwe? We have, as a country, consistently and over a long period of time, condemned what has happened there. First … we pushed for the suspension … of Zimbabwe from the Commonwealth. We have imposed sanctions so that no member of the Mugabe regime, no official, no business crony of the Mugabe regime can come to this country. Those sanctions have been in place for 18 months and are well warranted.

We have made the decision, because it is within the power of the country to make the decision, that the tour of [a] Zimbabwe … national side [to New Zealand] in December this year will be cancelled. We are the only country, the first country in the world, to have taken that step. That is also consistent with the move by Norman Kirk in 1973 and the move that we made in 2000 with national sides … from Fiji, after the coup.

What you would like me to say to today, which I cannot not say today and will not say is that we will legislate against New Zealanders as a team or as individuals leaving this country. We will not force legislation, without consultation, without public submissions, through that. It’s not a case of balls, it’s a case of setting a precedent, that you might live, sir, to regret in the future, if we start depriving New Zealanders of the very rights that we are demanding Mugabe stop depriving his people of. Freedom of association, freedom of travel, and freedom of independent organisations from government control are fundamental to this country, and I don’t give a damn what you say to the contrary. That is what I believe and I’m here to tell you that today.

What we will do, what we have been doing, is to put pressure on the ICC [International Cricket Council]. We had a meeting with the ICC yesterday. We have approached every country on the ICC for support. There are two countries who have given support: Australia and United Kingdom. And seven countries, including South Africa, have not given that support.

We have pressed the G8. We are today going round the capitals of the European Union to give the strongest possible statement condemning Mugabe, on behalf of the European Union, and we expect the Europeans to do that, including the French, who haven’t done it to date.

We are approaching the Security Council, trying to get Mugabe before the International Criminal Court. We don’t know whether we can do it but, by God, that’s where he belongs. That’s what his fate should be for what he has done to his people.

We have approached … the South African Development Community. There are many people here, including John [Minto] behind me and Mike Treen and others, who marched in 1981 against the South African tour and every Labour Member of Parliament opposed the South African tour. We did it because we were begged to do it by the ANC to stand up for the rights of the oppressed, to stand up for the majority of South Africa, and stand out against abuse of human rights.

Now, it is time for the ANC to deliver back. Why should it be wrong when their rights were stolen from them by the regime of apartheid, yet South Africa has been silent when it comes to condemning the same abuses from the Mugabe regime? New Zealand is one country, one country only, but I’m proud of the fact that we have taken a lead on this in so many fields and internationally.

But to succeed in the true purpose, which is to get rid of Mugabe, get rid of the abuses, we need the support of other countries around the globe. To be effective, we will continue to fight for that.

Despite his obvious passion, it is nevertheless disappointing that he has been willing to take any action of any consequence to prevent the tour from going ahead.

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