Little’s Hate Speech Laws Will Destroy This Government.
By Chris Trotter
The Daily Blog
Andrew Little has confirmed that the Coalition Government will announce changes to New Zealand’s free speech laws before the election. Clearly, Jacinda Ardern has not been able to persuade her Justice Minister that introducing “hate speech” laws is a sure-fire election loser. Or, perhaps the Prime Minister also believes that attacking freedom of speech is an election-winning strategy.
The timing of Little’s announcement is interesting. It points to a dramatic weakening in the position of Labour’s coalition partner, NZ First. For the first time since the Coalition’s formation in October 2017, Winston Peters finds himself and his party dependant on the good will and protection of the Prime Minister.
The Serious Fraud Office’s decision to launch an investigation into the NZ First Foundation has prompted multiple demands for Jacinda to stand Peters down for the duration. She has been called “weak” for refusing to discipline her Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister – and he is very aware of the political rewards that would flow to the Prime Minister if she decided to give in to his critics’ demands.
If she did give in, Peters knows that any threat to “pull the plug” on the Coalition in retaliation would be met with a cool “go on then”. Being seen to have forced a snap election over the SFO investigation would seal NZ First’s fate. The electorate would punish Peters and his party mercilessly. Jacinda and the Greens, on the other hand, could present themselves to the country as the principled and courageous defenders of “clean” politics. What would undoubtedly be suicide for Peters and NZ First could end up being the making of his erstwhile coalition partners.
All of which adds up to a radically changed power dynamic on the Beehive’s Ninth Floor. From here on out, what Jacinda and her “progressive” colleagues want, Jacinda and her “progressive” colleagues are going to get. Three weeks ago Peters would have shaken his head coldly at the very thought of introducing anti-hate speech legislation prior to the election. Today, he has bowed his head meekly and walked away. The Coalition’s “handbrake” has been released.
Showing posts with label State Persecution. Show all posts
Showing posts with label State Persecution. Show all posts
Wednesday, 4 March 2020
Saturday, 28 December 2019
A Time of Winnowing
Betrayed with a kiss? State-sanctioned religious persecution rolls out under banners of “protection”
We watch aghast as state-sanctioned persecution of Christians, and other minorities, unfolds globally. In India, the streets are ablaze as protest ignites over a deceptive law proposed by Narendra Modi’s government to “protect” minority migrant groups from discrimination with preferential citizenship rights, all the while excluding and, possibly expelling, Muslim immigrants. Wide-ranging destructive consequences could include a deluge of Hindu migrants displacing fragile Christian and minority ethnic communities in the north-east of the country.
Just a few weeks ago, Russia’s President Putin stood alongside Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban earnestly pledging to protect war-ravaged Christians in “cradle of Christianity” at a joint meeting with Christian leaders from the Middle East. Yet in Russia, both evangelical and Orthodox Christian leaders are sounding alarm bells over heavy-handed misuse of counter-terrorism legislation to oppress Protestant Christians.
Meanwhile in communist China, a chilling country-wide programme of AI surveillance, designed to watch and record citizens’ every move, will leave no place to hide for already hard-pressed minorities, including Christians who face ever increasing pressures and invasive control in churches and in their daily lives.
A great paradox of these times are the banners of protection, anti-extremism and social cohesion being waved in India, Russia and China where “anti-persecution” policies are perpetrating the very oppression against minorities they claim to be seeking to protect them from.
Saturday, 2 February 2019
Back To The Future
The Coming Test Acts Will Challenge Religious Freedom
And the pressure they bring to bear will be a major test of faith for Christians.
By Michael Brendan Dougherty
National Review Online
Think of a country where leading politicians question whether members of a long-established religious minority are fit for public office. Or where the head of state attacks the legal protections that allow minority religions to choose their own leaders without state interference. Think of that country’s press, which has deep ideological and financial affinities with the ruling class’s prejudice, whipping up scare stories about that minority’s schools. Maybe you were thinking of Hungary. But all of these are recent examples of American secularism. And if news of recent weeks is any indication, the pace is only going to pick up.
“Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious People,” John Adams wrote, “ It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.”
Well, Americans stopped being a “religious People” quite a long time ago. And they are becoming progressively less attached to organized religion by the day. Consequently, the accepted meaning of the First Amendment has been changing. And the Constitution is becoming inadequate for the defense of religious people and their institutions.
Instead of allowing the flourishing of various religious bodies in a democratic republic, the language of the First Amendment is used to cultivate a special disgust and suspicion of religious people when they act in public or in the civic space.
And the pressure they bring to bear will be a major test of faith for Christians.
By Michael Brendan Dougherty
National Review Online
Think of a country where leading politicians question whether members of a long-established religious minority are fit for public office. Or where the head of state attacks the legal protections that allow minority religions to choose their own leaders without state interference. Think of that country’s press, which has deep ideological and financial affinities with the ruling class’s prejudice, whipping up scare stories about that minority’s schools. Maybe you were thinking of Hungary. But all of these are recent examples of American secularism. And if news of recent weeks is any indication, the pace is only going to pick up.
“Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious People,” John Adams wrote, “ It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.”
Well, Americans stopped being a “religious People” quite a long time ago. And they are becoming progressively less attached to organized religion by the day. Consequently, the accepted meaning of the First Amendment has been changing. And the Constitution is becoming inadequate for the defense of religious people and their institutions.
Instead of allowing the flourishing of various religious bodies in a democratic republic, the language of the First Amendment is used to cultivate a special disgust and suspicion of religious people when they act in public or in the civic space.
Wednesday, 12 December 2018
Hamanism: When the State Turns Nasty
Australian Religious Freedom Is Under Legal Threat
Akos Balogh
The Gospel Coalition
A new bill introduced into the Senate last week (due to be debated this Monday, December 3rd) will, if passed unamended, severely erode Religious Freedom in our land. Especially for religious schools.
As Neil Foster, Associate Professor of Law at Newcastle University, writes:
As we’ve discussed before on this website, cultural pressure and suspicion against religious freedom has been building. The recent leaked recommendations from the Ruddock report generated a great deal of outrage, in both social and mainstream media.
In particular, any suggestion that religious schools have the ability to ‘discriminate’ against LGBTI staff and students was met with fierce condemnation. Civil public discussion around this issue has been difficult, if not impossible, under such conditions.
We shouldn’t be surprised, then, that cultural pressure is now threatening to become legal pressure.
What Do Australians Stand To Lose?
Akos Balogh
The Gospel Coalition
A new bill introduced into the Senate last week (due to be debated this Monday, December 3rd) will, if passed unamended, severely erode Religious Freedom in our land. Especially for religious schools.
As Neil Foster, Associate Professor of Law at Newcastle University, writes:
Senator Wong, leader of the Opposition in the Senate, has introduced a Private Senator’s Bill aimed at removing the power of religious schools to discriminate against same sex attracted students. Unfortunately, the amendments do much more than stop schools expelling students on the basis of their internal sexual orientation (a goal all sides of politics agree on.) They will have a serious impact on the ability of such schools, and other religious bodies, to operate in accordance with their religious beliefs.Cultural Pressure Is Now Becoming Legal Pressure
As we’ve discussed before on this website, cultural pressure and suspicion against religious freedom has been building. The recent leaked recommendations from the Ruddock report generated a great deal of outrage, in both social and mainstream media.
In particular, any suggestion that religious schools have the ability to ‘discriminate’ against LGBTI staff and students was met with fierce condemnation. Civil public discussion around this issue has been difficult, if not impossible, under such conditions.
We shouldn’t be surprised, then, that cultural pressure is now threatening to become legal pressure.
What Do Australians Stand To Lose?
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