6 March 2012

Labour and Greens Now Supporting Binding Referendums?

Family First NZ says that both Labour and the Green party appear to be supporting binding citizen initiated referendums, and are calling on them to join with NZ First and ACT to pass the appropriate legislation.

Labour MP Phil Goff, when promoting a petition last month calling for a Citizen’s Initiated Referendum on the partial asset sales plan, said “Having a referendum is one way we can show Mr Key he doesn’t have a mandate to sell assets.”

And Greens Co-Leader Russell Norman said “…..we live in a democracy and so people in this country believe they’ve got a right to have their views heard…it would be better to have a binding referendum but we're using what we've got.”

Family First NZ National Director Bob McCoskrie says:

“We are stoked that both the Greens and Labour feel that Referendums should be listened to by the government of the day and act as a mandate for action. Despite their breathtaking hypocrisy of ignoring an overwhelming 87% of New Zealanders on the anti-smacking law, it seems they have now had a change of heart. We would call on them to join with NZ First who have been consistent supporters of binding Referendums, and the ACT party who have indicated conditional support, and introduce the necessary legislation to make future Referendums binding.”

“This was always the intention of the legislation governing CIRs – that the government would heed the results of a clear cut result – such as the recent anti-smacking Referendum. Sir Doug Graham at the first reading of the CIR Bill in 1992 said *.. it will be obvious that, if the public overwhelmingly supported a proposition contained in a referendum, clearly it would have great persuasive weight and any Government that simply ignored it would do so at its peril.”

“Binding citizen initiated referendums will simply be democracy in action.”

ENDS

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