Refers to the government's earthquake response legislation and the Rugby World Cup 2011 (Empowering) Bill. 26 experts in constitutional law from all six of the country's law faculties have penned a letter condemning the Government's earthquake response legislation. No sooner was their work in the public eye than the similarly flawed Rugby World Cup 2011 (Empowering) Bill was reported back from a select committee, with a recommendation that it pass. It also goes far beyond what is required to get things done. In bypassing the normal consent process, the bill says the authority does not have to hold hearings on applications and that its decisions can be challenged in the High Court only on points of law. Effectively, the legislation asks New Zealanders to accept that the Rugby World Cup Minister knows best. It is he who knows how the event must be run. Precisely the same attitude pervades the Canterbury Earthquake Response and Recovery Act. This hands individual Government ministers the power to change almost every law, thereby handing Parliament's normal law-making role to the Executive. Their decisions cannot be challenged in any court'. (NZ Herald editorial - 1 October 2010)
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Photograph captioned by Fairfax, "Lisa Smith, her sisters-in-law and their four children had gone to the shelter on Monday to get some lunch".
Photograph captioned by Fairfax, "Liz Brook has a full house after her brother's house was damaged in the earthquake. From left: Liz, her son Hayden holding his second cousin Kayleb, niece Jacinta (7), husband Ian, niece Shontelle and sister-in-law Karen".