Kiwi Party (2019)

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The Kiwi Party is an unregistered reactionary political party in New Zealand. The party was formed after the Christchurch mosque shootings to oppose the Arms (Prohibited Firearms, Magazines, and Parts) Amendment Act 2019, and to support "free speech as well as individual rights". [1]

Contents

Policies

The party supports lower taxation, binding referendums, legalisation of cannabis, and an entrenched, written constitution. It opposes gun control, the use of 1080, immigration, and the Family Court of New Zealand. [2] [3]

The party is not contesting the 2020 election; it did not apply for a broadcasting allocation, [4] it is not registered to receive the party vote, and it is not running any electoral candidates.

Censorship of shooter's manifesto

In April 2019 the party lodged an application to review the decision of the Chief Censor of New Zealand that the manifesto "The Great Replacement", allegedly written by Brenton Tarrant, was objectionable. [5] However, the document remained classified 'objectionable'. [6]

Right to large firearms and other accessories

The party sought a declaratory judgement that the Arms (Prohibited Firearms, Magazines, and Parts) Amendment Act 2019 was invalid on the basis that the right to bear arms in New Zealand was provided by the Magna Carta and that firearms were a taonga under the Treaty of Waitangi. This was dismissed by the High Court. [7] [8] A subsequent appeal was made to the Court of Appeal. [9] The Kiwi Party attempted a "leapfrog" appeal to the New Zealand Supreme Court in February, but were turned down. [10] The appeal was also dismissed by the Court of Appeal, which ruled that New Zealanders have no "right to bear arms". [9] According to the party's website, it filed an application to the Supreme Court in April 2020 for the right to appeal against the Court of Appeal's decision. [11]

See also

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References

  1. "Kiwi Party: Goals". Kiwi Party. Retrieved 2 July 2019.
  2. "Party Policies". Kiwi Party. Retrieved 2 July 2019.
  3. "Cannabis Referendum". Kiwi Party. 13 December 2019. Retrieved 30 April 2020.
  4. "2020 Broadcasting Allocation Decision Released". Electoral Commission. 29 May 2020. Retrieved 29 May 2020.
  5. Kiwi Party (15 April 2019). "Kiwi Party application to Secretary of Internal Affairs to review manifesto". Voxy. Retrieved 2 July 2019.
  6. "NZ Register of Classification Decisions". Te Mana Whakaatu / Classification Office. Retrieved 30 April 2020.
  7. "Legal challenge to Government gun law thrown out". New Zealand Herald. 2 July 2019. Retrieved 2 July 2019.
  8. S. Every-Palmer, R. Cunningham, M. Jenkins & E. Bell (2020) The Christchurch mosque shooting, the media, and subsequent gun control reform in New Zealand: a descriptive analysis, Psychiatry, Psychology and Law, DOI: 10.1080/13218719.2020.1770635
  9. 1 2 Hurley, Sam (26 March 2020). "Kiwis have no constitutional right to bear arms, Court of Appeal rules in failed challenge to Govt gun ban". New Zealand Herald via www.nzherald.co.nz.
  10. Hurley, Sam (11 February 2020). "Supreme Court says no to Kiwi Party's 'leapfrog' appeal over legality of Government's firearms ban". New Zealand Herald. ISSN   1170-0777 . Retrieved 20 September 2020.
  11. "Declaratory Judgement Update April 2020". Kiwi Party. 23 April 2020. Retrieved 30 April 2020.