human rights Archive

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  At last, Key congratulates Chinese Nobel prize winner - by Keith Locke

  
  
  
  On Friday the great news came through the Liu Xiaobo, jailed for his promotion of the Chinese democracy manifesto, Charter 08, had been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. Within 24 hours we had congratulatory messages from Barack Obama, Angela Merkel, French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner,  the European Commission chief, Jose Manual Barroso, etc.  Green co-leader [...] read more
  October 12, 2010 5:53 pm - 4 Comments
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  Liu Xiaobo awarded Nobel Peace Prize - by Russel Norman

  
  
  
  Liu Xiaobo, Chinese dissident and democracy campaigner, has been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize “for his long and non-violent struggle for fundamental human rights in China”. Liu is in jail for 11 years for advocating for democracy and human rights in China. NY Times reports that China threatened that relations with Norway would be damaged if [...] read more
  October 9, 2010 5:20 pm - No Comments
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  Wake-up call on women’s rights - by Catherine Delahunty

  
  
  
  Sunday was Suffrage Day, a day on which we are urged to celebrate the struggle for Votes for Women. Determined to celebrate, I attended several suffrage events, but ended up somewhat sobered by the work we still need to do to achieve gender equity in the 21st Century. The gender pay gap is 12 percent [...] read more
  September 21, 2010 1:48 pm - 17 Comments
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  China’s competitive edge - by frog

  
  
  
  I was bemused by John Key’s statements on China’s ‘competitive edge’ yesterday, during an interview with Guyon Espiner on Q+A. read more
  July 12, 2010 11:25 am - 55 Comments
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  Fuller v Bennett - by frog

  
  
  
  While both I and Green MPs have slammed Paula Bennett’s beneficiary bashing policies, I haven’t climbed into the information privacy dispute between Bennett and DPB beneficiary Natasha Fuller – until now! Bennett is going too far, and seems to want to escalate the dispute for her own political ends. read more
  May 27, 2010 6:47 pm - 23 Comments
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  UN slams prisoner voting ban - by David Clendon

  
  
  
  The UK has come under heavy criticism from both the UN and the Council of Europe for its ban on prisoners’ voting. Despite this John Key’s Government is pushing ahead with the Electoral (Disqualification of Convicted Prisoners) Amendment Bill to disenfranchise prisoners. They have provided no evidence that this bill will achieve anything, and it [...] read more
  April 28, 2010 12:51 pm - 27 Comments
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  UN Human Rights Committee picks up key issues - by Keith Locke

  
  
  
  So far, the National Government has gotten off fairly lightly following a critical report on its record by the UN Human Rights Committee released last weekend. read more
  March 31, 2010 12:10 pm - 23 Comments
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  A bizarre human rights appointment - by frog

  
  
  
  Brian Neeson has spent most of his political life espousing bigotry and opposing human rights. So why appoint him to the Human Rights Review Tribunal? This is a truly bizarre appointment. read more
  December 21, 2009 3:17 pm - 27 Comments
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  TVNZ – step up to the Convention - by Catherine Delahunty

  
  
  
  TVNZ might be at risk of becoming blasé about complaints to the Human Rights Commission. After all, it is becoming a regular occurrence thanks to their ongoing support for Paul Henry’s barking and dog whistling. Henry is willing to incite prejudice and contempt for women who are not Barbie and people with intellectual impairments. read more
  December 3, 2009 6:41 pm - 59 Comments
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  Time for debate in NZ on discriminatory royal succession rules - by Keith Locke

  
  
  
  Britain’s current dilemma over the discriminatory nature of royal succession will hopefully stimulate a similar debate in New Zealand. The timing is good, now that my Head of State Referenda Bill – to see whether Kiwis want to stay with the monarchy – has been picked from the Private Member’s Bill Ballot. read more
  December 1, 2009 2:27 pm - 35 Comments
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  Access to Dental Care a Human Right - by Catherine Delahunty

  
  
  
  I am horrified that the Ministry of Health’s mobile dental clinics won’t be wheelchair accessible.  If the vision is to take health out to the people then access is a fundamental issue.  The excuse that a ramp would cost $70,000 must be examined.  What has happened to the DIY approach to practical problems like building [...] read more
  November 6, 2009 3:56 pm - 107 Comments
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  October 15th 2007 – Lest we forget - by Catherine Delahunty

  
  
  
  Yesterday was the second anniversary of the so called “terrorism” raids. Police carried out dawn raids on dozens of houses in Te Urewera and around Aotearoa which was definitely terrifying for the victims of this debacle who turn out not to be terrorists. I will not forget the conversations I had with people from Ruatoki [...] read more
  October 16, 2009 11:42 am - 23 Comments
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  NZ must take a stand on human rights abuse in Iran - by Keith Locke

  
  
  
  All eyes were on Iran during its presidential elections on June 12. The re-election of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was seen as fraudulent by many, and set off a spate of protests in following weeks. The crackdown by the Iranian government shocked the world. Many protestors and bystanders were killed or injured; over a thousand were detained. [...] read more
  September 7, 2009 5:47 pm - 51 Comments
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  Time is Now - by Catherine Delahunty

  
  
  
  The Minister of Justice has missed the point of the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. National is prevaricating about recognising the Declaration because they are afraid it might actually mean something and affect the law of the land. They are failing to embrace the opportunity the Declaration offers us of a deeper engagement [...] read more
  July 24, 2009 1:40 pm - 176 Comments
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  Hard-hearted immigration policy does NZ reputation damage - by Keith Locke

  
  
  
  I’m glad New Zealand Immigration has cancelled its edict that a Lithuanian visitor, Jurga Skiauteris, must hop on a plane, despite medical advice that she should stay put in new Zealand  because of complications with her pregnancy.   What a heartless policy New Zealand Immigration has towards pregnant women here on temporary visas.   It [...] read more
  June 10, 2009 1:18 pm - 27 Comments
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  Declaration of Indigenous Rights Down Under - by Catherine Delahunty

  
  
  
  On Tuesday I got to ask my first proper Question in the House. Unsurprisingly Hone Harawira asked more or less the same question. Will the Government follow the lead of Australia and change their position to support the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People? The Prime Minister did a good imitation of saying [...] read more
  April 2, 2009 7:00 am - 106 Comments
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  GEO Group record in private prisons – very very bad - by Metiria Turei

  
  
  
  One of the companies that is apparently in discussions with National to run a private prison is The GEO Group Inc. They ran the Auckland Central Remand Prison when it was privatised. John Key is reported as saying that they produced “very good results”. The GEO Group, Inc. is part of the The Wackenhut Corporation, [...] read more
  March 12, 2009 11:08 am - 27 Comments
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  The Price of Silence - by frog

  
  
  
  Further to my post yesterday about the 60th anniversary of the United Nations Declaration of Human Rights, there is this lovely music video from Amnesty International: It is a cogent reminder that when we remain silent in the face of arcane legislation like the current Immigration Bill or last year’s Terrorism Amendment Act, we allow [...] read more
  December 11, 2008 12:15 pm - 6 Comments
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  Make peace not war - by frog

  
  
  
  And here’s more policy announcements.  Keith Locke and Kennedy Graham launched a 22 page foreign affairs policy tonight at the Canterbury branch of the New Zealand Institute for International Affairs that: Introduces into our trading framework with other countries values like human rights, labour and environmental standards, ecologically-sustainable practices, local values and cultures, the right [...] read more
  September 17, 2008 8:55 pm - 102 Comments
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  Human rights and climate change - by frog

  
  
  
  Celsias has the link to an important report on the link between human rights and climate change: According to a report published recently titled “Climate Change and Human Rights: A Rough Guide, 2008  ” (pdf), climate change is already undermining the realization of a broad range of internationally protected human rights: rights to health and [...] read more
  September 1, 2008 4:27 pm - 9 Comments