ACTivate

Listen to Campaigns Manager, David Vega talk about Amnesty Aotearoa's new report titled: “Navigating injustice: Climate displacement from the Pacific Islands of Tuvalu and Kiribati to Aotearoa New Zealand".   The report shows how existing migration pathways are not an answer to the humanitarian needs of people seeking safety from the impacts of climate change and disasters. They are labour-focussed – making them arbitrary and discriminatory. Amnesty Aoteroa is calling on the NZ Government to establish a rights-based humanitarian visa to allow Pacific People most impacted by climate change to move to or continue living in NZ. Because, we're all in this together.

ACTivate is a monthly show brought to you by the Christchurch branch of Amnesty International Aotearoa/New Zealand, an organisation dedicated to campaigning for human rights.

It's White Ribbon Day this month and election year is looming, so what better way to stand up against violence towards women by listening to this engaging conversation on harmful online misogyny. Then pick up a pen and write to your local MP on reforming the law.

You'll hear Dr Mudgway explain that violent gender-based online abuse is significantly harming female politicians, changing the way they campaign, what hot button topics they avoid speaking about in public and the length of time they stay in the job. New Zealand needs a tougher response. Dr Mudgway recommends an online safety regulator with enforcement powers, regulating tech companies and codes of conduct around elections.

Listen to part 2 of Catherine's interview with wellbeing economist Paul Dalziel who explains that the RSB will make it more difficult to pass legislation that seeks a proportionate reduction of individual property rights for a major contribution to the public good, for example some climate change policies.

Paul argues the bill will increase red tape, slow down law making and won't make New Zealand more prosperous. His view is that there is nothing in the bill that is visionary about raising the wellbeing of future generations.

Paul's takeaway message is that we should look to the Welsh, "Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015" as an alternative way to design regulatory standards, "the way to frame it should be about the wellbeing of future generations based on widespread consultation and input from experts to...create consensus rather than adopting a narrow libertarian property rights framework that... will constrain the future path of Parliament twisted into a certain direction."

Despite first appearances this proposed legislation is anything but boring. If passed, it will become deeply important to how we "do" legislation in NZ. Economist and Wellbeing Economy Alliance Aotearoa researcher Paul Dalziel joins Catherine to delve into: What is regulation? What is the aim of this bill? Will it achieve it? And is there even a problem in the first place that justifies the estimated 20 million dollar price tag?

Paul explains that the Bill is unnecessary, unfit for purpose and narrow. When setting standards there should be expert input, broad consensus and wide public consultation, none of which occurred satisfactorily in this case.

Paul's opinion, shared by many other leading academics, is that this legislation will distort the parliamentary process towards an ACT party point of view due to its narrow focus on private property rights, which is not healthy for the general debate we want to have in parliament. He comments it is concerning that other important principles are not in the Bill, like the rights of future generations for example, and we talk about the glaring absence of Te Tiriti o Waitangi.

Essential listening for anyone wanting to learn more about this controversial Bill that experts like Sir Geoffrey Palmer has said, "is the strangest piece of NZ legislation he has ever seen."

And listen out for part 2 of this interview in October's edition.