The current New Zealand government has a “Trumpian accent” that should be a red flag for the people, one of the world’s leading human rights voices says.

Amnesty International secretary-general Agnès Callamard spoke this week on 30 with Guyon Espiner during her first official visit to New Zealand.

Once a country that was seen internationally as “punching above its weight” in terms of human rights, Callamard said it was not currently seen as having a strong voice.

“New Zealand has always been a country that, what is the expression, punched above its weight. In human rights terms, in solidarity terms, you know, by holding the line on a number of very fundamental questions.

“Right now, this is not what is happening.”

This led to the government having a “certain Trumpian accent”, she said.

Amnesty’s top official says New Zealand is losing its reputation as a human rights leader Video: RNZ News

“These are red flags, I think, for the New Zealand people, because, you know, the shift can happen very quickly.

“At Amnesty International, we are worried about this evolution. Internationally, we don’t hear New Zealand. We haven’t heard New Zealand on some of the fundamental challenges that we are confronting, including Israel’s genocide, Palestine or climate.”

Critical of Trump
Callamard was critical of United States President Donald Trump — saying she would not give him any credit for his actions regarding the Gaza ceasefire.

“For the last 10 months of power, he has shielded Israel,” Callamard said.

“Everyone agrees that this ceasefire, this deal, could have been made in March. This deal could have been made in June.

“Okay, it’s being made now. But why did we have to wait so long? Israel would never have been able to do what they’ve done without the support of the US.”

She said she was “super happy” the bombing had stopped but she would not thank the US for waiting “24 months” to act.

New Zealand’s silence on issues, including the war in Gaza, was being noticed internationally, she said, with “dwindling voices coming from the Western world”.

‘Speak loud. We need you’
It was something she had raised with the government itself, although not resonating in a positive way.

“They don’t see it that way. I see it that way. We just have to leave it at that.

“We have different views on how New Zealand stands right now, and it is a critical juncture for the world and any voice that we don’t hear any more for the protection of the rules-based order is dramatic.

“I want to invite the New Zealand people and New Zealand leaders to really please speak up. Speak loud. We need you.”

The Prime Minister’s Office has been contacted for comment.

This article is republished under a community partnership agreement with RNZ.

Article by AsiaPacificReport.nz

Australian constitutional law expert Professor Anthony Regan believes Fiji’s Coalition government came into power “by the skin of its teeth”.

In the face of that, he believes it is not an option to leave the 2013 Constitution “as it is!”

Professor Regan spoke at the Fiji National University’s (FNU) Vice-Chancellor’s Leadership Seminar in Nasinu on Thursday, on “Constitutional Change in Fiji: Looking to the Future”.

He has voiced caution about the stability of the 2013 Constitution.

“Do you leave it as it is now and say it’s too difficult to change? That’s an option,” he said.

“And you might say that’s OK because the new regime is a fair and thoughtful regime and will act only fairly.

“That may be true, but every government is subject to temptations when there are pressures.”

He spoke about what he terms a pretty bad electoral system designed to keep people in power.

The Coalition government got in by the skin of its teeth in the face of that system.

The system, he argued, designed to favour certain parties, increased the risk of a less favourable government gaining power in the future.

And this, he warned, could cause problems in the future.

“There’s no guarantee that a good outcome will come in every future election and then, if a government that had far less good intent came to power, it’s got the authority to do all the things we have talked about.”

These included overriding human rights and stacking accountability institutions.

He believes the recent Parliamentary remuneration debacle has added a new layer of complexity to the challenges we face as a nation.

He believes, with the added majority in the House, it may be possible to get the 75 percent majority needed to amend the constitution.

He has also suggested possible ways to move on reforms.

He suggested amending electoral legislation, and factored in compulsory voting to raise voter turnout and possibly inch out support for constitutional reforms.

Change though, as the good professor notes, will definitely need support and a united front.

That will mean awareness campaigns designed to raise the level of understanding of any need for reforms and encourage participation.

That will mean taking the message out to the masses, and encouraging them to buy into any bid to make changes.

That isn’t going to be a walk in the park either.

Professor Regan’s opinions will no doubt stimulate discussions on this important topic and encourage people to consider whether it is important enough for them to participate.

So we have what he considers a constitution that is vulnerable to potential abuse by future governments if it is left like this.

And in the face of that sits the need for us all to carefully consider what we must do moving forward. We have layers of complexities as we mentioned above, and major challenges that will need careful consideration and discussions!

Republished from The Sunday Times on 4 August 2024 under the original headline “By the skin of its teeth” with permission.

Article by AsiaPacificReport.nz