Monday 4 March 2019
1) Does New Zealand still have a consensus on having an unarmed police force?
The facts:
New Zealand is only one of a handful of countries where most police officers do not carry fire arms. Yet, last week it was announced that all frontline police in Christchurch would be carrying firearms on their person. This extraordinary move was in response to two related instances where Christchurch police were allegedly shot at.
Police Minister Stuart Nash fully backed the decision, but denied that this meant that routine arming of police was on the horizon. Media reports of Christchurch residents’ views on the sudden arming of local police revealed a mix of reactions. Some residents were reported as supporting police carrying guns as a necessity for their safety. Other Christchurch locals expressed fears over police abusing guns.
Frontline police in the Canterbury region will no longer carry firearms on their person following the arrest of a young man on Sunday. The man has been charged with using an imitation firearm against Police.
Analysis:
The general arming of frontline Christchurch police was an extraordinary move. New Zealand is one of five countries where police are unarmed when they are on patrol. Yet the directive for all frontline police in Christchurch to carry guns was only met with a mooted response by the media and by political commentators and political players.
A serious debate is needed here over whether concerns over police safety should trump a historical consensus over New Zealand having an unarmed police force. Regardless of one’s position on arming the police, a thorough debate on the issue should be welcomed. Police should be prevented from arming by stealth. Such a move would be highly undemocratic.
Also, questions need to be asked about the alleged shooting at police, and the subsequent arrest of a culprit for carrying an imitation firearm. This story from the police doesn’t seem to add up.
2) The Green Party is pushing for a complete ban on foreign political donations.
The facts:
A bill banning offshore political donations has been introduced by Golriz Ghahraman. The Green MP has said the aim of her bill is "stop unfair influence and potential corruption in politics".
Ghahraman’s bill would also give prisoners the right to vote, allow Māori to change roll types at any time they choose, and lower the MMP threshold to 4 per cent.
Analysis:
We live in a period where the public’s concerns over corruption and interference in politics is at an all-time high. Therefore, the move by the Greens to further regulate political donations in NZ is a smart one. The banning of offshore political donations will appeal to many.
However, would such a move be xenophobic, and act to tap into the worse forms of bigoted fears of the foreign Other? Or, would such a ban strengthen NZ’s democracy and act to push back against alleged foreign interference in this country’s political system?
While the Greens are calling for a complete ban on foreign donations, they are only pushing for greater regulations of local donations. This blanket ban on foreign donations, while allowing for local doantions, does seem to be discriminatory.
3) Tensions between the two nuclear powers India and Pakistan are at an all-time high.
The facts:
Over the last week both India and Pakistan have been engaged in military strikes against each other. Earlier last week India carried out air strikes within Pakistani controlled-territory. This was in response to a suicide bombing that killed 40 Indian soldiers in Indian-administered Kashmir. A Pakistan-based group claimed responsibility for the attack. Pakistan then retaliated to the Indian air strikes with their own air strikes in Indian-controlled territory.
An escalation of the conflict seemed imminent. However, the return of an Indian fighter pilot by Pakistan has perhaps eased tensions. The Indian air force pilot was shot down in Pakistan-administered Kashmir.
Analysis:
So, is what is going on between Pakistan and India a big deal? Yes, it’s a fucking big deal! The two countries have enough nukes to wipe each other out. And even a conventional war, without nukes, could lead to millions of deaths.
The current skirmishes between Pakistan and India relate to the ongoing conflict over the region of Kashmir. Kashmir is a majority Muslim area, claimed by both India and Pakistan. An ongoing civil war is occurring in Indian-administered Kashmir.
The question of which nation has a legitimate claim over Kashmir is an existential question of identity for both Pakistan and India. Kashmir is a majority Muslim area. Pakistan was founded as a nation for Muslims in South Asia, and on this basis Pakistan claims that Kashmir is an integral part of the Islamic country. India was ostensibly founded as a multi-religious nation-state, and the nation’s founders strongly disagreed with the partition of British India along religious lines. However, the continued rise of Hindu nationalism in India has acted to strengthen Muslim and Kashmiri separatist voices in India.
What do Kashmiris actually want? It is generally accepted by South Asian experts that most Kashmiris do not want to be controlled by India. Some Kashmiris just want to be absorbed into Pakistan, while others want to become an independent nation. Also, there has historically been a split within the separatist movement in Kashmir - between secular nationalists against radical Islamists. The Pakistan state and military has tended to support radical Islamists in the Kashmir region.
If a full-scale war was to breakout between India and Pakistan, then the conflict over Kashmir would be at the heart of such a war. And such a war could go nuclear.
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This political roundup by John Moore is an extension on the five-minute breakfast political roundup that John gives on Radio One Dunedin, Monday to Thursday at 9am.
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