Candidate Survey: Tenth Response

From Robert Guyton, Green candidate for Clutha-Southland:

If you could ensure the passage of one act on one issue in the next Parliament, what would it be?

That the Government takes the leading role in modelling energy efficiency in building practice by incorporating state of the art, sustainable technologies in new and remodelled government buildings.

What three other electoral candidates or sitting MPs do you think are most similar to you in their political views?

Metiria Turei (Green)
Mike Ward (Green)
Ian Ewan Street (Green)

MMP is about coalitions: What sitting MP who is NOT in your party do you think is most similar to you in their political views?

Guy Salmon (National)

Do you support or oppose:

...raising the drinking age?

Oppose - Raising the drinking age, having previously lowered it would complicate the issue further. A better approach would be to address the other causes of the misuse of alcohol. The unbalanced portrayal of the qualities of alcohol by the advertising industry would be a good place to start.

...legalising marijuana (or pharmaceuticals based on it) for medical use?

Support - Where pharmaceutical quality marijuana is the best form of treatment, it should be available to patients.

...decriminalising or legalising marijuana for recreational use?

Support decriminalising - Decriminalising marijuana will open up the practice of marijuana-use to the scrutiny of the health and education sectors where real progress can be made in managing its effects on the health of consumers.

...allowing same-sex couples to adopt children?

Support - children in families with same-sex parents are statistically safer from harm (physical and sexual abuse) than those in families with heterosexual parents. Communities with such children amongst them will benefit from the diversity of experience the children bring.

...amending the Marriage Act to allow same-sex couples to marry?

Support - given that the Marriage Act has been explored and shown to not have aspects incongruous with same-sex couples marrying.

...allowing voluntary euthanasia or physician assisted suicide?

I support the right to choose freely and not be thwarted by a law or the religious or philosophical agenda of another person.

...state funding of integrated schools?

I support diversity in educational institutions and forums and support the funding of these by the state, where the standards of teaching and learning are on par with or above those of state schools. Those integrated schools receiving funding should be subject to the same assessment procedures as state schools.

...the retention of sedition as a crime in the Crimes Act?

Crimes of a seditious nature are also crimes in an ordinary sense and should be tried in that light.

...the retention of blasphemous libel as a crime in the Crimes Act?

No informed opinion

...further restrictions on hate speech?

Oppose - let ‘hate speakers’ get it out into the light of day where others can apply common sense to what they hear.

...the use of indefinite detention without trial for those subject to a security risk certificate?

Oppose - if a security risk certificate exists and that is regarded as enough to keep a person imprisoned, then it must be enough also to go to trial with.

...restoring the death penalty for serious crime?

Oppose - utilising the penalty of death is a serious crime - violence begets violence and excessively harsh penalties do not deter a sufficient percentage of criminals to justify their use.

...Georgina Beyer's Human Rights (Gender Identity) Amendment Bill?

Support - I cannot see why a group of people such as these (transsexual, transgender etc.) should be denied their full range of human rights and be discriminated against in law.

...Gordon Copeland's New Zealand Bill of Rights (Private Property Rights) Amendment Bill?

Support. If the proposed Private Property Rights are balanced against the rights of the public to access public land, then it has merit.

...entrenching the New Zealand Bill of Rights Act as supreme law?

Cautious support at this stage

...New Zealand's participation in the International Criminal Court?

Support - the experienced gained will be good for our judges and they can bring a NZ perspective to the international proceedings.

...lowering MMP's threshold from the present 5%?

If there were compelling reasons shown to do this I would support the move. As it stands, I don’t see any need to change now.

Finally,

With the benefit of hindsight, how should the government have handled the Ahmed Zaoui case?

With greater transparency and with greater consideration for the imprisoned man. A more efficient and humane process is needed in cases like these.

As usual, Robert's views are entirely his own, and do not necessarily represent those of the Green Party.