Thursday, December 13, 2007

To the Governor General, Hon Anand Satyanand

Government House
Private Bag 39995
Wellington Mail Centre
Lower Hutt 5045
Governor General
Hon Anand Satyanand,

Dear Sir

I appreciate the fact that you have been a lawyer, Judge and Chief Ombudsmen’s so you’re credentials speak for them self. I however don’t shear your giftedness or confess to have anywhere near your level of understanding or knowledge of the law or structure to which you empowered and we are governed.

So I hope you will bear with me while I attempt to explain why I feel this Parliament is oppressing its people. I should also point out I have a learning disability you can read about on my webpage being http://graemea.snap.net.nz
This will come across throughout this letter while I attempt to convey my basic understanding and heart felt passion for seeing what’s right and just happen.

I believe the integrity of Parliament has slowly but surely been eroded away of late. Mainly this Government and its coalition partners are slowly but surely attacking the rights and freedoms of her Majesty subjects to a point that I feel it can no longer be ignored. It would also seem not even the opposition can stop them so you seem to be our only hope if you are able to help us.

The hypocrisy of this so called democracy is rather ironic given I believe this parliament more than any other has morally, ethically and legally overstepped the mark and acting in a very undemocratic manner on an umber of fronts.

I will first given you my argument, reasoning for presenting my case to you followed by what I hopping you might see the need to get involved on our behalf.

Remember it was reported the Government threaded Voluntary organization by removing their charity status if the are seen to be to political. As results some (NGO’s) None Government Organizations have backed of advocacy and gone into education. The changes to the Charities Act this still presents a problem for those charities that are dedicated lobby groups.

To me this amounts to an attempted gagging for those, Charities/NGO’s who might want to criticize any parties’ policies on behalf of those whom it might hurt and be unable to get a voice via any other means...
The changes to the Charities Act I believe is about creating a “climate of fear as National MP Bill English pointed out over Wellington Airport for refusing to display a billboard criticizing the Government because it is too politically sensitive.

Source:
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/1/story.cfm?c_id=1&ObjectID=10408681

I work in the NGO and Charities fields and can assure you many of them will be thinking twice before criticizing any parties’ policies in what could be deemed a political manner. That to me seems like a climate of fear and oppression.

The Electoral Finance Bill is yet again another attack on the freedom of speech and trying to muzzle people from getting their views across. The more I write this all down it seems we have gone to a dictatorship rather then leadership.

MPs pass law allowing pledge card spending
By TRACY WATKINS - The Dominion Post, Wednesday, 21 November 2007

“Members of Parliament have voted themselves the power to dip into the public coffers to pay for material put out on the campaign trail in a move that has sparked more angry exchanges in Parliament.

“As a consequence, the Appropriation (Continuation of Interim Meaning of Funding for Parliamentary Purposes Bill) allows parties to put out the same type of material next year without breaking the law and without breaking the strict financial cap on how much they can spend in an election year.
That sparked National Party accusations last night that Labour was corrupt and had "stolen" the 2005 election.

Parliament is expected to pass the Electoral Finance Bill before Christmas so the January 1 start date for its new election-year regulations can kick in.
Source: http://www.stuff.co.nz/4282161a6160.html


Let us not forget the fact that many of the parties did not want to repay the illegal spending and now passed a law to fix the problem as mentioned above.

So if the law does not suit Parliament, then they will change it and continue doing what they want anyway. Many of the ministers have been accused of not being honest as the snippets below will explain:

Labour ministers suffering from a strange phenomenon
A strange new type of amnesia is striking down Labour ministers left, right and centre. In some cases, it hits after they’ve been at ethnic events or interviewed by ethnic media, and in one case it seems to have hit everyday life. Its main symptoms include evasion, obfuscation and omission.
Source: http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0709/S00116.htm

Let’s look at the scandals
Examples from Source: 1
Paintergate, speedgate, tennis-ballgate, front-bottomgate.

Examples from Source: 2
corngate, doonegate, pledgegate

Examples Source: 1
http://www.listener.co.nz/issue/3455/columnists/6629/another_closed_gate.html;jsessionid=1DFB65DBF62AF3BC17384D24FE66CA67
Examples Source: 2
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/1/story.cfm?c_id=1&ObjectID=10408681

This Parliament can’t be trusted to set up an inquiry as proven by “the Ingram report' into Taito Phillip Field showed:

By engaging a respected Queen’s Counsel, she ensured that it would be tough for anyone to criticise the process. And indeed, no one has seriously charged that he whitewashed the affair. By giving him no other powers than you or I might have for looking into this, Clark ensured it would be tough for him to get to the bottom of matters. It was a tacit invitation to Field to ration his co-operation and, as the report makes tactfully clear, that’s exactly what he did.

Source: http://www.listener.co.nz/issue/3455/columnists/6629/another_closed_gate.html;jsessionid=1DFB65DBF62AF3BC17384D24FE66CA67

The (Ingram's inquiry)The terms of reference the Prime Minister set for her ministerial inquiry into Taito Phillip Field's dealings have finally been exposed as a sham by the police decision to lay corruption charges.
Source: 5:00AM Saturday May 26, 2007By Fran O'Sullivan
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/feature/index.cfm?c_id=1501207

That is a slap in the face of the so called integrity of Parliament; it was a waist of taxpayer’s money and a complete whitewash as the Government wanted.

So we have proven you can’t trust Parliament to set up an inquiry because they control the terms of reference slanting it to their favor if needed.
If Parliament does introduce a Code of Conducts which is long overdue can we really trust them to apply it or make it meaningful.

The Parliament was taken the power and control out of the people hands to the point they control everything and these is not longer any real avenue of redresses they don’t influence which is in my view a dangerous president.

I hope being a forever highly respected judge you will take offense to the next section but I feel it needs to be said.

Given the Privy Council was replaced by Supreme Court and Governments hand picks Judges as apposed to all of parliament is see this a very dangerous.
I actually think the people should choice the judges from lists a election time.
I don’t trust parliament at all to do this independently.

Not only that but I think the Privy Council should come after the Supreme Court as a last resort, not instead of. Let us not forget that Governments have been embarrassed by some Privy Council outcomes. The only place some people got real justice was overseas and now they are being denied that right by parliament.
Those issues alone deserved a referendum for the people to have their say which we were denied. Is this real dormancy?

What’s just as bad as that is the fact the Prime Minister decides who is a terrorist now and not judiciary.
Currently, the Prime Minister has the power to designate terrorist groups but they are reviewed after three years by the high court as a judicial safeguard.
Under the proposed amendments there will be no High Court review. This leaves the decision solely in the hands of the Prime Minister.
Source: High Court Bypassed Under New Anti-Terror Bill
Wednesday, 27 June 2007, 2:38 pmArticle: Joseph Barratt
http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0706/S00368.htm

The problem is under the disguise of looking for terrorist people in lobby groups come under fire. I would not be at all surprised to find myself on that list so that the political parties have an excuse to spy on me knowing I am an advocate and very outspoken,
So my point is this Government and some of its coalition partners are trying to silence their critics, railroad the justice system and hinder peoples and organizations freedom of speech.
Don Brash has said that:
“Helen Clark’s Labour Government is quite simply the most corrupt government in New Zealand history”.
Source http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/1/story.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10396221
I agree with you on this one Don, so now she has come to my town I am going to tell her myself
Helen the lesson here is the more you try and silence your critics, the more you will make.
There is no way people like me will let this government, Lie, cheat and steal. Your way in power and think you can stay there. I would be saying the same about National if they tried to pull stunts like this or any other party.
Lie Reference, amnesia is striking down Labour minister’s e.g. Symptoms include evasion, obfuscation and omission.
Cheat Reference Ingram's inquiry teams of reference. Hider freedom of speech that could cities it, disadvantage other parties from having a fair go no matter who they are.
Steal Reference MPs pass law allowing pledge card spending

Even the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination has criticizes this Government over it handing of treaty claims and the way it treats our indigenous people, yet knowing that after the report they still tried to sell of land under claim with the Treaty of Waitangi tribunal until protesters put a holt to that idea.

I am hoping after reading all the aforementioned you might consider taking some from of action like refusing to give royal assent to some Bills like the terrorist legislations that gives the PM the power, the Electoral Finance Bill, or any such Act/Bill that could jeopardize peoples freedoms and Rights. I would like you to consider if need be dissolving Parliament.

New Zealand needs either the New Zealand Bill of Rights or constitution that truly and ultimately protects people’s legitimate Rights to peacefully speak out and protest. That parliament is also held to a higher standard then that which we are seeing now. With the code of contact for MP’s I would like to see you oversee that because you are independent from parliament. In the same way you can withdrew ministerial warrants I think you should be able to withdraw MP’s right to be in parliament.

Two examples is again Taito Phillip Field, and Trevor Mallard punching Hon Tau Henare. I believe given the anti violence complains which I have seen you in on TV Trevor Mallard should have gone to the back bunches.
We clearly cant trust the Speaker of the house who is chosen by the government anyway. Rodney Hide made a complaint to the speaker that got nowhere.

…We can’t ignore the assault and pretend that Hon Trevor Mallard didn’t punch Hon Tau Henare in the head with a closed fist – not once, but reportedly repeatedly…
Source
http://www.act.org.nz/breach_of_privilege_complaint_against_hon_trevor_mallard

So this Goverments grip on power is ver strong at ever level to the point not even the oppesation can do anything.

I hope you are will to help restore the balance of power, Peoples rights and freedoms and provide us with a place of redress unhindered by the influences of Parliament.


Graeme Axford