Media statement

Friday, 20 February 2009

Hon Peter Dunne

MP for Ohariu

Leader of UnitedFuture

Dunne: email your National MP – while you still can!

UnitedFuture leader Peter Dunne today called upon New Zealanders to let National’s MPs know in the next 24 hours exactly how strongly they feel about having their internet connections cut because of no-proof-needed internet piracy allegations.

He said Monday’s Cabinet meeting will effectively be the last chance to have Section 92A of the Copyright Amendment Act derailed before it comes into force on February 28.

“Basically, New Zealanders need to really speak up today and let National know exactly how strongly they feel about having this unjust law imposed upon them,” Mr Dunne said.

“They need to email National MPs and blog while they still can, because frankly, given that an unproven accusation of illegal downloading can get you disconnected from February 28, who knows who will be impacted?”

Mr Dunne yesterday received a 10,000-signature petition from a Creative Freedom Foundation protest at Parliament.

In addressing the demonstrators, he said the Section 92A issue represented the “same threat to freedom of speech that the Electoral Finance Act did”.

He called on New Zealanders to continue with their online blackout campaign which has seen thousands of internet users “blacking out” their web pages, blogs and social networking sites. Mr Dunne has blacked out photograph on his Facebook site.

“Section 92A is draconian and unjust. In attempting to protect copyright, it is an attack on individual freedom. You don’t fix one injustice by creating another,” he said.

ENDS

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