NZ Politics Daily - 23 September (liberation)

The Labour and Act parties have been jointly-awarded the title of ‘Party of the Week’ by Stuff political journalists Andrea Vance and John Hartevelt. What have these ‘unlikely bedfellows’ done? They’ve refused ‘to roll over to National’s bid to push through quick-fix surveillance laws’ – see: Campaign countdown: 64 days to go. Vance and Hartevelt also appropriately cite the ‘Giant legal brains Andrew Geddis, Dean Knight and Philip Joseph’ as helping defeat the Government’s rush into dodgy legislation. Of course ‘The Maori Party, the Greens and the Mana Party say they won't vote for the bill under any circumstances’ – which is a more hardline stance against it – see: No deal yet on covert surveillance bill and Greens rule out support for urgent surveillance bill. Yet when it comes to the Labour and Act parties, it’s still not apparent to what extent they disagree with the substance of the bill rather than just the rush to proceed under urgency. No doubt the debates continue within the individual parties over whether to eventually lend support to the legislation if National allows them some sort of select committee process. And although the strongest criticism of the proposed bill is coming from the left, National will be stung most by the criticisms of rightwinger Matthew Hooton in a NBR column entitled Key risks following Clark’s footsteps: ‘It is impossible to believe Mr Finlayson, the most distinguished legal mind in parliament and a person of impeccable integrity, genuinely supports what is being done in his name. More likely he is being put up to it after one of Steven Joyce’s polls. But while pragmatism and poll-driven fruitcake-ism may have something to commend them in economic and social policy, the criminal law is one area where it is the prime minister’s responsibility to uphold a strong ideological position based on ancient rights and the rule of law’. Well said. [Continue reading below for a full list of the highlights of NZ Politics Daily]

Below are the internet links to all the NZ politics material from the last 24 hours that are either informative, insightful, interesting or influential. This list and the links are taken from a fuller document, NZ Politics Daily, which is emailed out, Monday to Friday, to various researchers, academics, journalists, MPs and so forth. The document is purely for research purposes only, and if you would like to be on the subscription list, please email: [email protected]

State spying

Derek Cheng (NZH): Govt eager to settle hidden camera issue

NZN: No deal yet on covert surveillance bill

Lloyd Burr (TV3): Urgent surveillance law 'offensive' – Greens

APNZ: Greens rule out support for urgent surveillance bill

Andrea Vance (Stuff): Labour slams Govt's surveillance 'fixit' bill

Red Alert: Supreme Court Update: Labour’s response to Goverment Bill

No Right Turn: Labour on rule of law repeal II

Editorial (Waikato Times): Quick-fix bill unacceptable

Andrew Geddis (Pundit): Further on "the Geddis solution" ...

David Farrar (NZH): Parties, police and privacy

Matthew Hooton (NBR): Key risks following Clark’s footsteps