We Are Better Than That

We need to talk. For the first time, New Zealand is considering a law that would lock up boat-arriving asylum seekers. What's this all about? Go to: http://aucklandrefugeecouncil.org/news/ Please join, like and share our FB page: http://www.facebook.com/WeAreBetterTh...

• Category

  News & Politics

[Tracey Barnett]

This wrong turn in the direction of mimicking Australia's disastrous detention policies is up for its 2nd reading tomorrow. Show Peter Dunne that just by changing the threshold number for locking up asylum seekers, it won't change what will be tremendously costly damage to NZ's international reputation for honoring the 1951 UN accords we agreed to uphold decades ago. Let Peter Dunne and others who support this wrong turn, know how you feel. peter.dunne@parliament.govt.nz

[Tracey Barnett]

Wondering what to do next? Take a minute and send a quick email--even a sentence or two only-- voicing your opinion to: [please share!]

p.sharples@ministers.govt.nz

t.turia@ministers.govt.nz

winston.peters@parliament.govt­.nz

peter.dunne@parliament.govt.nz

[Tracey Barnett]

For my take on why the proposed law needs to be struck down, on Media3 this week, 19:40 minutes in.

[diulikadikaday]

Hi Tracey, I just happened to catch you on Media3. I thought you did a great job. While we don't all agree on this issue, the conversation is worth having. There is too much misinformation and many of us hold strong opinions on this issue without knowing any real facts (I'm possibly one of these people!)

[Tracey Barnett]

I appreciate the kind thumbs up. It's important to know this has nothing to do with relaxing our rigorous standards for assessing asylum or opening our doors irresponsibly. This is about instituting detention for the first time in this country. Something that has been a disastrous, costly and absolutely ineffective deterrent in Australia.

[Tracey Barnett]

Help start the conversation. Please share this with at least five friends, then post the link on your Facebook page and Twitter.

[Liam Waters]

I hate it when D grade New Zealand celebrities think they have influence. We're better than that, seriously.

[ataata taipōuri]

Completely agree with you there maybe if Karl Urban was on there they may have a hope of pushing their point across. Also the point of the law is to deter asylum seekers from entering the country so they don't go on the benefit like this D grade bunch

[SatanicWound]

*is entirely hard (typo.)

[SatanicWound]

First of all I want to put out there that I am not a racist by any means, my personal belief whether those agree or not that New Zealand has been through a-lot of problems with immigration and I feel that if they are imposing this law it is not over nothing, we cannot say that getting into this country is not entirely hard given its exponential rate of growth over the years with incoming populous from other countries, we have taken in many refugees at the cost of our own, jobs etc so I support.

[montyscooter1965]

To strongly disagree...what part of "asset sale" don't you get. WTF we are giving money to "charity" when we are borrowing at interest. It's an individuals responsibility to make their lot better in life. Liberalism rules in my mind. We aren't Australia who can dig a hole in the ground and find billions of dollors of mineral resources. We're a tin-pot little country who is struggling to get by. The pantry doors are locked!!

[diulikadikaday]

@montyscooter. To politely disagree, I don't think it is a naive sentiment. I personally think it's naive to say that these nation states do little to help their own people while we are saints. We agreed with the UN to give 0.7% of GDP (not even 1%) in int'l aid. yet we don't even meet half of this agreement (we only give 0.28%). Out of the 24 developed countries in the Development Assistance Committee, we give the lowest. Are we better than that? Well in many ways we aren't.

[Amanda Brydon]

Good question, in terms of population ratios the numbers also show the tiny numbers NZ has in comparison to other countries.

New Zealand has a ratio of 1 refugee for every 2000 people. Australia has 2.2, the United Kingdom has 8 and Jordan has 140.

[DJRU2]

Really D grade actor comments that miss the point completely and Jihad comments trying to convince us of the impending terrorist invasion because our relaxed non-discriminatory laws aren't targeting Arabs & Muslims? I guess NZ isn't better than that, but are just stupid enough to believe the BS behind this separatist law.