After Thursday’s release of previously secret Crown Law advice the government has hit the spin cycle. On top of that they have been trying to bully media organisations to remove the story, and have even set some journalists on the trail of trying to identify the leaker. Barry Soper
Democracy, lockdown legality Matthew Hooton (Herald): Government abusing lockdown powers (paywalled) Chris Trotter: The Safety Of The People Shall Be The Highest Law Peter Dunne: Cracks in the machinery of democracy Barry Soper (Newstalk ZB): Leaked Crown Law advice shows alert level 4 rules had no legal force Cameron Slater
Yesterday we broke the news that the Crown Law advice to the Police gave them few if any legal powers to enforce the lockdown. Jacinda Ardern was clearly briefed that something was coming because during question time she rolled out her defence of the document. There is a real problem
On Monday we published emails leaked to us that showed that the Police had sought and obtained a Crown Law legal opinion on precisely what they could and could not do under the Governments pandemic lockdown edicts. The emails showed that Police believed, on the advice from Crown Law that
The BFD has been sitting on a very big news story, working since late last night to put it together for our readers. This afternoon, when we are ready, we will publish it. You DO NOT want to MISS this news story.
Government, lockdown legality Branko Marcetic (Democracy Project): The prime minister should listen to her own mantra: “Be kind” RNZ: Was Covid-19 lockdown legal? Professor Claudia Geiringer explains Thomas Coughlan (Stuff): Legal challenge over coronavirus lockdown Yvette McCullough (RNZ): Epidemic Response Committee to summons Solicitor-General to reveal legal advice for lockdown
Nicole McKee Spokesperson Fair and Reasonable Campaign Day One: I’m now out of our first day of hearings and a “Zoom” meeting with our lawyers. Of course a result is impossible to predict, and I make this observation as a non-lawyer, but it appeared Justice Cooke really engaged on
National’s big plan to assist with recovery in a post-COVID-19 world appears to be an extra big dollop of corporate welfare. Once again the pitch seems to be for people to vote National because they aren’t quite as bad as Labour. National Party leader Simon Bridges has proposed
Move to Level 2 1News: Modelling expert ‘a little bit nervous’ that unknown Covid-19 cases will spread if we burst our bubbles Gordon Purdie, Nick Wilson, Michael Baker (Public Health Expert): What we would like to see on the Ministry of Health’s website to better inform progress on COVID-19
Tuesday 5 May 2020 News: Maori offered track into legal cannabis industry Maori Party Calling On Govt To Ensure RMA Changes Don’t Undermine Maori Rights Or The Environment Maori views considered in RMA fast tracking Waipareira Nurses Granted Wider Medical Powers Police Commissioner: Community-run roadblocks are now close to
Jacinda Ardern told Mike Hosking that she had seen no evidence of gangs being involved with illegal roadblocks. She is clearly wilfully blind. Mike Hosking challenged her on this but she still denied there was any evidence. Her darlings at Newsroom and NewstalkZB last week documented this exact occurrence: Volunteers
Economy Robert MacCulloch (Herald): A time for trickle-up economics (paywalled) Thomas Coughlan (Stuff): Sir Roger Douglas – Let big firms ‘fend for themselves’ Bruce Munro (ODT): Recovery for all Liam Dann (Herald): How bad will unemployment get in New Zealand? New data to show start of the job crunch (paywalled) Tom
Immediately after we published our story about the leaked Police emails, which revealed that the initial two weeks of the lockdown were probably illegal, Jacinda Ardern appeared on Mike Hosking’s show to discuss this and other matters. Mike Hosking did not let her off the hook lightly: The government
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We are at Level 3 of New Zealand’s four-level COVID-19 alert system. New Zealand moved to Alert Level 3 at 11:59pm on Monday 27 April. We will stay in Alert Level 3 for two weeks, before Cabinet reviews how we are tracking and makes further decisions on 11
