I missed this last night - apparently the New Zealand parliament unanimously passed the Canterbury Earthquake Response and Recovery Bill allowing the Governor-General to make Orders-in-Council at the advice of the Minister for Canterbury Earthquake Recovery, effectively allowing him to repeal or modify any existing law without consulting Parliament, his Government, or even the Cabinet.
While the intention is undoubtedly good, there has nonetheless been a bit of an uproar by online commentators over whether or not New Zealand is now a dictatorship, as the nation's legislation can now be changed at the whim of a single man.
I'd have to agree that removing a lot of obstacles during the rebuilding process is a wonderful idea, but I can't shake the ominous feeling that the disaster has softened the Kiwi opposition to authoritarianism. It's a scary thought that the seeds have now been sown, and all it takes is for someone to step in and harvest them at an opportune time.
Here's the take on the situation from various blogs:
From those more than a little concerned...
Kiwipolitico
Andrew Geddis
No Right Turn
Not PC
To those who voted for it or think it's good...
Greens
Labour
National
Kiwiblog
Malaysian Satay Chicken
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*The taste of this satay chicken is so authentic and wonderfully delicious.
The recipe was from a friend who was a chef in Malaysia. How could it be?*
[ima...
5 hours ago
I think it's a tough call, but personally I think that if it speeds up the process, it's probably a good thing. Hopefully the country is capable of shouldering the responsibilty of keeping the GG in line, as necessary.
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