ACT tried to get Parliament to pass a motion that China is engaged in genocide in the north west in the Xinjiang province.
The Labour government resisted using the term genocide, which to date has only applied to Nazi Germany, Cambodia and Rwanda, and had it watered down to ‘severe human rights abuses’ are occurring there.
Yes, we all know that what China is doing to the Uighurs is not good as there is credible evidence of human rights abuse, but our Parliament passing any sort of worded motion censuring and lecturing China is not going to make one iota of difference to the Uighurs situation.
If ACT genuinely wanted to make a difference to these people, why are they not calling for large numbers to be offered sanctuary here, or sums of money and aid to be sent to them?
They are doing it to embarrass the Government and thus score political points, but in the process putting our trade and exports in jeopardy. China may not need us greatly but for better or worse, we have hitched ourselves to their economy and rely heavily on it.
I know that I’m putting pragmatism in front of principle, but if prodding China only antagonises rather than forces a behavioural change, why bother? Use more effective measures to force change rather than proposing ineffectual words and a whole lot of hot air.
I’ve checked out the ACT website and their mission is all about public policy and their 16 principles are all focused onshore – and not a single mention of this nation being the world’s conscience.
Only a few months ago, they were calling for the abolition of NZ’s own Human Rights Commission.
And why stop at China? Myanmar has been appalling with their ethnic cleansing of the Rohingya; the Central African Republic, Iran, Syria, North Korea, Afghanistan and South Sudan are all countries committing gross human rights abuses right now. Perhaps they will be their next causes if this is the new focus of that party.
Now, let’s have a crack at Trevor Mallard, the speaker of the house. He was never well-suited to this role, as he’s been a bovver boy all his political career. He even had a fight with Tau Henare in Parliament back in 2007.
He’s shown bad judgement in his public utterances over the sexual complaints from parliamentary staff and it cost us, the taxpayer, $300,000 in a defamation case. Again, he went too far last week and showed a complete lack of judgement. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern gave him a public dressing down and said his conduct was “totally inappropriate”. If he doesn’t leave Parliament in the next two years, it’s hard to see his political career extending another term. His time is up.
There is no love lost between him and National’s Chris Bishop, since Bishop took Mallard’s seat off him for a term. Bishop also went too far in his determination to get a political scalp and has politicised what must be an exceedingly difficult situation for the complainant in this matter. It’s no wonder women are reluctant to complain or press charges in these cases and the way our politicians are behaving, only makes it more difficult and less likely.
Politicians do a tough job on our behalf and it is important that we have a robust democracy.
But civility is important too, and let’s hope there is more of that in our Parliament in the future.
