It’s hard to miss the ramp-up of political posturing in the media as election year starts to wind up into full flight. More than ever this year, it appears that political parties are embracing the Web as an easy communication medium to get their message and often their branding across to voters.

Helen Clark has her own site as the incumbent Prime Minister of New Zealand as does John Key who even has a page on Facebook.

National have their own National Party website a Flickr account and even a YouTube page while Labour appear to be basing their campaign mostly around their main Labour Party website. The Greens have a popular website and the, Maori Party appear to be building their online presence too.

The increasing use of online video from politicians to get their messages direct to the public brings in a new era of political party posturing online.

Last month, the New Zealand government released a new website which provides free public access to online versions of all New Zealand Acts, Bills and Regulations.

This may sound like something which should have been in existence for some time; however, it’s never been done before in New Zealand and is a large step forward for providing open and easy access to legal material for the average New Zealander.

The New Zealand Legislation website is the culmination of the Public Access to Legislation (PAL) project.

One of the key factors in building a site like this is how often it is updated and therefore how correct the details are. In their About Us section, they say new Acts will be updated within five working days of Royal assent; new Regulations on the day after the date they are notified in the Gazette; and new Bills introduced into the House, on the day after introduction.

So, if you’re interested in finding out all the controversial requirements in the Electoral Finance Act 2007 that was recently introduced, you can read it all yourself and you can even download a PDF copy of the Act itself.

Image from Flickr.

We’ve always been proud of our clean human rights record and our ability to stand up for the little guy in any fight. But here’s something that, in the words of ACT MP Rodney Hide, “does away with the fundamental rights of every New Zealander.”

Protests against anti-terror law amendment
Today, hundreds of protesters will descend on Parliament to voice their opposition to anti-terrorism legislation passed yesterday. The hikoi has made its way from Ruatoki, in the Bay of Plenty, the site of police raids on so-called ‘terror suspects’ (those arrested have since faced firearms charges, but all terror charges have since been dropped). While keeping the issue of civil liberty alive, the protesters are too late to halt the passing of the Suppression of Terrorism Act amendment. The legislation passed its third reading yesterday, 108 votes to 13, with the backing of Labour and National. The Greens, ACT and the Maori Party all opposed the legislation.

Does the new terrorism legislation mean gun-toting law enforcers and reduced rights for Kiwis?
Hardly. In a nutshell, the Terrorism Suppression Amendment Bill:

• Extends the power of the United Nations to designate terrorist entities (this applies both internationally and within New Zealand)
• Makes committing a ‘terrorist act’ an offence under New Zealand law, punishable by life imprisonment
• Removes the ability to defend a charge with the claim that a terrorist entity was funded out of a concern for human rights and democracy

So, are we under threat? And how do new terror laws fit in to the international War on Terror?
The New Zealand Government and Police have been widely criticised for their part in the arrest and interrogation of suspects in Ruatoki, although political comment has claimed that the two issues are separate. Prime Minister Helen Clark said the Bill had to go through for New Zealand “to comply with UN conventions where we have that international obligation.”

Green MP, Keith Locke, said it was false to claim the law was required to bring New Zealand into line with international counterparts. And Solicitor-General David Collins has also failed to support the new law, rejecting the terrorism charges leveled against Ruatoki suspects.

So…
It seems the international War on Terror has been caught up in local racial politicking? The Suppression of Terrorism Act was designed to protect our country (unlikely target that we may be) from international terrorist organisations, such as Al Qaeda, but was used as a somewhat ineffective weapon against local terrrorist wannabes. Incidentally, leaked evidence from the Police case against Ruatoki suspects makes for scary reading.

Stay tuned – this surely won’t be the last we’ll hear on this political issue…

Have you ever worried that the government is losing its transparency or isn’t fully democratic? In a move that will keep the New Zealand public in the political loop, Parliament’s full proceedings are now broadcast live online.

Parliament will be sitting for around 17.5 hours each week, with debates and question time available to view via a number of remote-controlled cameras in the parliamentary chamber. The antics and heated debates of our favourite politicians should make for some good viewing!

This new service doesn’t come free, though, with a price tag of some $4.1 million to set up the broadcast and ongoing costs of $1.7 million every year. The new technology development brings New Zealand up to speed with the rest of the world (60 nations already broadcast similar material).

To watch the live broadcast from Parliament, just visit the site and choose from broadband (high speed / low speed) or dial up connection, make sure you have QuickTime or Windows Media Player, and you’re away laughing. If you’re new to the political game, there’s also provide plenty of information on how Parliament works.

This is a great way to find out what really goes on behind the Beehive doors, so take a minute to tune in…