Cullen In A Glasshouse

Wednesday 2 Jun 2004

Stephen Franks - Press Releases - Crime & Justice

While Deputy Prime Minister Dr Michael Cullen may have correctly woken up to the risks of judicial activism, he is responsible for inviting the judges to make law, ACT New Zealand Justice Spokesman Stephen Franks said today.

"A politician in a glasshouse, throwing stones at judges, is more than silly - it has long-term dangers. By convention, judges can't retaliate, but they have the most straightforward answer," Mr Franks said.

"Dr Cullen, you passed the incomprehensible laws that we are forced to make sense of. We choose to make sense in a way that suits our political consciences - what else did you think we would do?

"Dr Cullen's Cabinet has approved laws as diverse as the Local Government ACT, the Trademarks ACT, the re-structuring of TVNZ and numerous others. These all order organisations and officials to give privileges or preference to Maori, Maori culture, or Maori values - whatever any of those mean.

"The Labour Government is still passing laws referring to the so-called `principles of the Treaty'. Only ACT has refused to vote for these. Even Winston Peters, who has made his recent career out of complaining about Attorney General Margaret Wilson's use of the principles, voted in favour of law with numerous principles references as recently as six months ago.

"Dr Cullen, you have no right to try to shift blame to the unelected judges when you've been part of Ms Wilson's deliberate shift of power to them," Mr Franks said.

ENDS

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