Saturday 25 July 2020

A quick look at NZ's "Enabling Act" - the COVID-19 Public Health Response Bill

There has been a lot said about the Covid-19 Health Response Act on social media. I decided to have a look for myself what is there.

This Act was passed under urgency without the support of the opposition parties after it was found that the government did not have the legal power to do what it was doing. It gives the government sweeping powers to enter people's homes and direct them to quarantine centres etc.


The question is how justified are these "emergency powers" when the need for urgency is open to question and when there is a worldwide agenda to remove human rights under Agenda 2030, of which one of the most enthusiastic supporters (shown by this meeting of PM Adern with the Gates'.


Some basic off-the- cuff figures provided by Billy te Kahika in an interview indicate that at the worst 1400 people had contracted for the virus, about 1000 of whom recovered and 24-25 died of co-morbidities.  

Is that enough to warrant such sweeping state powers?

NZ does not have a constitution but a Bill of Rights Act.

This overrides the Bill of Rights leaving it in place - because we are in a (long) emergency.


If you look at regimes that are commonly regarded dictatorships everything they did was 'legal' in that there was legislation passed by a parliament to allow for the removal of rights.

A study of the nazi rise to power is enough to confirm that.

The COVID-19 Public Health Response Bill




https://www.lawsociety.org.nz/news-and-communications/latest-news/news/covid-19-public-health-response-bill-passed-under-urgency


http://www.legislation.govt.nz/bill/government/2020/0246/latest/whole.html
Hon David Parker

COVID-19 Public Health Response Bill

Government Bill
246—1


Contents

Explanatory note
1Title
2Commencement
3Repeal of this Act
4Purpose
5Interpretation
6Transitional, savings, and related provisions
7Act binds the Crown
8Prerequisites for all section 11 orders
9Minister may make section 11 orders
10Director-General may make section 11 orders
11Orders that can be made under this Act
12General provisions relating to section 11 orders
13Effect of section 11 orders
14Form, publication, and duration of section 11 orders
15Amendment or extension of section 11 orders
16Section 11 order made by Minister revoked if not approved by House of Representatives
17Section 11 orders to be disallowable instruments
18Authorised persons
19Evidence of identity
20Powers of entry
21Power to give directions
22Power to close roads and public places and stop vehicles
23Power to direct person to provide identifying information
24Power to direct business or undertaking to close
25Offences relating to compliance with orders
26Offences relating to exercise of enforcement powers
27Proceedings for infringement offences
28Who may issue infringement notices
29Infringement notices
30Reminder notices
31Payment of infringement fees
32Regulations
33Protection of persons acting under authority of this Act
34Amendments to Civil Defence Emergency Management Act 2002
35Section 66 amended (Minister may declare state of national emergency)
36Section 68 amended (Declaration of state of local emergency)
37Section 94B amended (Notice of local transition period)
38Section 94E amended (Termination of transition periods)
39Amendment to Oranga Tamariki Act 1989
40Section 272 amended (Jurisdiction of Youth Court and children’s liability to be prosecuted for criminal offences)















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