We just feel that there are some gang members that are creating more harm and continuing to.(www.radionz.co.nz/news/election-2017/338588/serious-criminals-have-fewer-human-rights-national)
Some have fewer human rights than others when they are creating a string of victims behind them ... there is a different standard.
Bill English, Prime Minister, also said:
...it's good that we don't have a written constitution it's enabled the country to deal with all sorts of issues in a practical effective way.(www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/96442150/national-party-announces-82-million-crackdown-on-methamphetamine-use-supply)
Below are some of my thoughts on this, reposted from a twitter thread from yesterday.
I'm no absolutist or idealist when it comes to human rights, but saying some have fewer rights is unbecoming of government. /1— Dean Knight (@drdeanknight) September 3, 2017
Our hum rtgs instrument is founded on an idea of universal rights. But rights that may be subject to demonstrable limits. /2— Dean Knight (@drdeanknight) September 3, 2017
Thus, govt measures might limit rights such that some people don't receive their full benefit. /3— Dean Knight (@drdeanknight) September 3, 2017
But the key lies in the govt obligation to express and justify a demonstrable reason for so limiting rights... /4— Dean Knight (@drdeanknight) September 3, 2017
... such limit being one consistent with a free and democratic society. /5— Dean Knight (@drdeanknight) September 3, 2017
The assertion that some have fewer rights or they should be summarily denied them repudiates that process of justification and reason. /6— Dean Knight (@drdeanknight) September 3, 2017
What's annoying is that govt could, in principle, develop and justify measures in this field - within the field and ethos of rights. /7— Dean Knight (@drdeanknight) September 3, 2017
* within the frame— Dean Knight (@drdeanknight) September 3, 2017
Instead we have anti-rights rhetoric, which erroneously frames rights as an inconvenience and the enemy of society. /8— Dean Knight (@drdeanknight) September 3, 2017
In other words, lazy governance. /9— Dean Knight (@drdeanknight) September 3, 2017
The right to exercise the power of the state, I think, comes with a duty to grapple in good faith with the rights-pub interest calculus. /10— Dean Knight (@drdeanknight) September 3, 2017
Today the Prime Minister has sought to walk the comments back: see www.radionz.co.nz/news/political/338621/fewer-human-rights-comment-a-mistake-english