Holly Walker is taking a flogging from all sides with Dave Henderson of the Association of Non-Governmental Organisations of Aotearoa Do-Gooders Socialist Association of Aotearoa giving her a good slapping.
Ms Walker’s presentation to the select committee considering the bill contains four guiding principles:
1. Lobbying is a legitimate activity.
2. Open and accessible government and Parliament is vital.
. The public has a right to know who is lobbying MPs on which issues.
4. A lobbying disclosure regime needs to be practical, workable and fair.
No-one can disagree with these, but the bill before the House does not meet the last of the four. It is a sledgehammer for a nut.
What is being proposed doesn’t differentiate between the so-called bad lobbyists and those organisations and individuals who are participating in a democratic right to discuss and put forward a particular point of view.
No lobbying regime in the world has been able to come up with a justifiable definition of “good” vs “evil” lobbying. Holly’s real motive to have a law that enables her to publicly target groups she doesn’t like when they meet with her political opponents.
What is being proposed doesn’t differentiate between the so-called bad lobbyists and those organisations and individuals who are participating in a democratic right to discuss and put forward a particular point of view.
This latter group accounts for 95 per cent of the lobbying that takes place in New Zealand.
These discussions are often about informing MPs and officials on the impact of particular policies and issues in our communities. These are crucial to a functioning democracy.
The bill is in danger of stifling these discussions through bureaucracy. It appears to be written around an assumption that a few unidentified suppliers of independent advice are somehow acting inappropriately and thus need to be regulated.
Even the lefties are effectively calling the Lobbying Bill undemocratic.
This bill will keep charities and community organisations from fulfilling their purpose as they spend their time, our donations and taxpayer money creating lists of all their interactions with MPs.
How can this work when many people expect to see their MP at the supermarket on a Saturday or at the school fair on a Sunday?
Interestingly, this morning the tip-line has learned that Holly has sought to block certain vocal critics of her Bill from presenting to the select committee.
More on that to come…
As much at home writing editorials as being the subject of them, Cam has won awards, including the Canon Media Award for his work on the Len Brown/Bevan Chuang story. When he’s not creating the news, he tends to be in it, with protagonists using the courts, media and social media to deliver financial as well as death threats.
They say that news is something that someone, somewhere, wants kept quiet. Cam Slater doesn’t do quiet and, as a result, he is a polarising, controversial but highly effective journalist who takes no prisoners.
He is fearless in his pursuit of a story.
Love him or loathe him, you can’t ignore him.
To read Cam’s previous articles click on his name in blue.
