In this episode of Political Playback – Simon O’Connor’s oral submission to the UK parliament considering euthanasia laws; NZ First wants to ban fireworks but some commentators say that it’s all performative politics and fake members bills – is that necessarily a bad thing; Parliament unifies to remove name suppression for sex offenders if requested by the victim; the media’s deathly silence on born-alive abortions – and the problem with Christopher Luxon’s 2023 bottom line on changes to the abortion law; David Seymour promotes religious observance?; the Days of Our Lives episodes continue in the Te Pati Maori; and the Government proposes banning homeless people in the Auckland CBD because of concerns around “frightening” anti-social behaviour.
Show summary:
In this episode of Political Playback, Bob and Simon discuss a variety of current political topics. The episode begins with an update from Simon about his early morning oral submission to the House of Lords in the UK on pro-life/palliative care.
The hosts then review a recent movie about Jacinda Ardern’s role in the Pike River disaster and discuss whether her portrayal is justified.
Next, they discuss a proposed bill to ban private fireworks displays in New Zealand, with Bob strongly opposing the ban and Simon expressing a nuanced view that emphasises responsible use. The hosts also touch on the use of private member’s bills, highlighting recent actions by New Zealand First regarding their push for various bills, including one defining ‘woman’ biologically which was removed from the biscuit tin, but then subsequently reintroduced after pushback from conservative and feminist groups – including Family First.
The conversation moves to the issue of born-alive abortions, criticising the lack of media coverage and political will to address the problem despite alarming statistics. Bob calls out the Prime Minister, Chris Luxon, for his stance against changing abortion laws and making it a bottom line that he would never change the law – even if the change was merited.
The hosts examine the ongoing leadership struggles within Te Pāti Māori, noting how this instability could impact future elections. They consider Chris Hipkins’ need for coalition partners like Te Pāti Māori and his strategic yet cautious approach which still spells trouble for him.
They touch on the government’s consideration of a ban on homelessness in the CBD, accentuating the distress among Auckland Central businesses due to rough sleepers and anti-social behaviours.
