Candidate Survey: Twenty-Sixth Response

From Catherine Delahunty, Green candidate for East Coast. Catherine is ranked 9th on the Green party list:

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

I would ensure that a Bill was passed into law that would protect landowners who had unknowing bought land contaminated with chemical residues such as PCP and make the companies who dumped the wastes responsible for the clean up and compensation costs.

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

Sue Bradford, Jeanette Fitzsimons, Metiria Turei

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?

Tariana Turia

Do you support or oppose:

...raising the drinking age?

Oppose but commit to banning alcohol advertising to the youth market through sports etc

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

Support

...decriminalising or legalising marijuana for recreational use?

Support for limited amounts for adults, oppose all drugs to under 18 years old and keep cannabis dealing illegal.

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

Support wholeheartedly, I have far more concern about closed adoption than I have about parental gender

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

Yes, if they want to they should be allowed to.

...allowing voluntary euthanasia or physician assisted suicide?

I oppose legalising voluntary euthanasia at this point in history because the current social context is not conducive to good decision making but I think we should be working towards a more realistic and flexible approach to managing the death process. My fear is that people with impairments who cannot advocate for themselves could be even more vulnerable

...state funding of integrated schools?

I think we should we start by properly funding state schools, and limit funding of integrated schools depending on their resources/decile eg. Kura kaupapa or Steiner school in a poorer areas versus Wanganui Collegiate or Kings College

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

No

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

No

...further restrictions on hate speech?

No I am not sure that further legal restriction on "hate speech" would work to deter hatred because the definition of "hate" is open to interpretation

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

No

...restoring the death penalty for serious crime?

No, it doesn't stop crime and it's not an ethical role for the state

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

Yes full support

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

Oppose, private property rights are not based on some kind of ethical principle like human rights they are a manifestation of western culture's agreements around property and have enough protection under law already.

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

I would like a Te Tiriti based Constitutional arrangement as supreme law rather than the Bill of Rights

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

Yes

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

We could consider a 3% threshold

Finally,

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

He is a refugee, he should have been granted refugee status and protection from the start and his family should be welcomed here..

As usual, Catherine's opinions are her own, and do not necessarily represent those of the Green Party.