The Coalition Government’s pledge to introduce a Treaty Principles Bill is insupportable, opponents say. Describing the proposed Bill as “radical”, former National Party minister Chris Finlayson and political commentator Matthew Hooten say the bills should not have the National-led Government’s support. Former National Party attorney general and minister for Treaty negotiations under Sir John Key’s Read more
It would be a tragedy for this country if, influenced by overseas excesses, we were to legislate for hate speech. Such legislation could have a chilling effect on debate here on all manner of issues, says former Attorney General Chris Finlayson. Yet that’s exactly what’s likely to happen. Justice Minister Kiri Allan says she will Read more
Acquitted Waihopai spy station priest Peter Murnane O.P. is denying accusations he took part in an illegal Blockade Australia protest. Murnane became a household name in New Zealand in 2010. He had been charged with burglary and wilful damage to the Waihopai spy base near Blenheim – charges the High Court acquitted Murnane and two Read more
Former Cabinet minister Chris Finlayson, a practicing Catholic, is also unsparing in his critiques of the Catholic Church. Finlayson says he has vigorously chided church leaders who try to intervene in politics. On one occasion the Archbishop of Wellington, Cardinal John Dew, invited him to a picnic on Parliament’s lawn. Finlayson says Dew wanted to Read more
On Friday, at the historic Parihaka reconciliation ceremony, the Crown finally apologised to the people of Parihaka for the actions which had burdened them “with an intergenerational legacy of grievance and deprivation, and which have burdened the Crown with a legacy of shame.” Here is the full apology, which was delivered by the Attorney-General Chris Finlayson. Mihi Te maunga tupuna, Taranaki Tū Read more
Property developer and Willis Bond & Co managing director Mark McGuinness and Attorney General Chris Finlayson were once in the same debating team when they attended St Patrick’s College Wellington. “He was a terrific guy – very smart, so he carried the rest of us in the team. He was very eloquent then, as he Read more
Last week St Patrick’s College Kilbirnie opened its new artificial turf. Wellington City Council covered $800,000 of the floodlit artificial turf’s $1.7 million bill. The responsibility for finding the remaining $900,000 to fund the artificial turf has been accepted by the St Patrick’s College Foundation. Some avenues of revenue generation have already been identified. The Marist Read more