The “most anti-democratic” law ever imposed on New Zealand has put churches right in the firing line of the left-wing government’s Covid Clampdown. Christians everywhere need to take a close look to see what’s being lined up by power-hungry leftists all over the world.
As part of a phased-in relaxing of the nationwide shutdown, the government of New Zealand has passed new legislation into law that allows only 10 people to attend a religious service while allowing 100 people to gather in other public places such as restaurants, shopping centres, and movie theatres.
The legislation, known as the COVID-19 Public Health Response Bill, was allowed to pass despite a public outcry, interventions by some members of Parliament — including the launch of a petition — and a joint effort of New Zealand Catholic and Anglican bishops urging the government to increase the limit on attendees at religious services.
“This is the most anti-democratic bill we’ve ever seen put before Parliament,” said MP Simon O’Connor in a video just before the bill became law.
“The bill gives extraordinary powers — unheard of powers — to the Prime Minister,” said O’Connor. “Basically, this bill allows one person in a democratic country the complete right to decide where you go, who you see, how you operate, when you open your business, whether you can go to church, (and) what sport you can play.”
“It allows the police, the New Zealand police, to enter your home without warrant” based simply on “the suspicion that there might be too many of you gathered in your home,” said O’Connor, noting that law enforcement has not previously had that power.
O’Connor also explained that the new law will allow the government to grant special powers to ordinary citizens known as “enforcement officers,” designated to “spy” on fellow citizens, and who have the power to shut down businesses or gatherings they deem to be too large.
The law shows “contempt for the very basics of human life: grieving, celebration, and faith,” he said. The freedom of religion addressed in the nation’s Bill of Rights was “completely ignored. I would suggest to you that it was deliberate and it is contemptible.”
In a separate speech delivered from the floor of Parliament, O’Connor said the omission of considerations “reflects a left-wing government view of religion and people of faith.”
“The bill is morally wrong. It is legally wrong. It is democratically wrong,” concluded O’Connor. “It is just not the Kiwi way.”
Another MP, Simeon Brown, said from the floor of Parliament that these new rules “go to the heart of what it means to be a Kiwi, and I find it abhorrent.”
Brown called for a more “proportionate” response. “This is not only an unfair change to the rules. It’s not only a misuse of the rules,” said Brown, “it’s an inhumane use of the rules.”
“When human societies lose their freedom, it’s not necessarily because tyrants have taken it away,” noted O’Connor, quoting English Lord Jonathan Sumption, a former UK Supreme Court Justice.
“It’s usually because people willingly surrender their freedom in return for protection against some external threat,” he said. “That’s what I fear we are seeing now.”
“Wake up, New Zealand,” he added.
Wake up, everybody!
