By Dr Guy Hatchard

Someone from one of the major parties involved in the upcoming Tauranga by-election called me yesterday. There are twelve candidates in all. Three minor parties opposed to vaccine mandates say they are hoping for an upset result, but unfortunately they have not united around a single candidate. Having listened to some political hopefuls, I reflect here what this is all about.

The history of parliaments goes back to the Magna Carta which was pretty much forced on King John by his disgruntled barons. In essence, King John felt he had a divine right to rule – he could regulate, punish, and tax the population pretty much as he saw fit, and he did so with abandon. Modern parliaments have quietly slipped into King John’s way of thinking.

The Magna Carta affirmed that the King had to take account of the wishes of the people, it acknowledged that citizens had a right to worship and conduct their business freely, and crucially said that the King was not above the law:

“No free man shall be seized or imprisoned, or stripped of his rights or possessions, or outlawed or exiled, or deprived of his standing in any way, nor will we proceed with force against him, or send others to do so, except by the lawful judgment of his equals or by the law of the land.”

So what is the law of the land referred to here? Law has three components:

• Parliamentary law
• Common law
• Natural law

All of which play a role in modern jurisprudence.

Parliamentary laws are those on the statute books. New laws are passed by each elected parliament according to the wishes of a majority of MPs.

Common Law comprises a number of rights stemming from the Magna Carta and subsequent judicial rulings and conventions on human rights. In essence Common Law is intended to ensure the dealings between individuals and between people and the state are fair and just. It also underpins our right to engage in our chosen profession or trade. It guarantees freedoms such as the right to worship and freedom of movement.

Natural Law combines all the laws of nature described by physics, chemistry, biology etc. Natural law is often described by religious people as God’s Will.

 

My advice to anyone aspiring to be elected to represent Tauranga is that we already have laws which need to be scrupulously observed. The problem is that our parliament, just like King John, has begun to consider that it is above the law.

NZ has its Bill of Rights, but its provisions of free medical choice have been ignored.

NZ describes itself as a Common Law democracy but the government has denied employment opportunities and other freedoms to a large section of the population through coercive mandates and restrictions.

Natural Law has also been ignored. Evolutionary safeguards embodied in our DNA have been altered through experimental mRNA techniques without regard to the risks involved or the science.

The result has been that almost the whole population has been subjected to medical risk and injury.

I suggest that anyone concerned should print out a copy of the main provisions of the NZ Bill of Rights and display them prominently at their home and their place of business.

The New Zealand Bill of Rights Guarantees:

• Right not to be deprived of life or subjected to cruel treatment
• Right not to be subjected to medical or scientific experimentation
• Right to refuse to undergo medical treatment
• Freedom of thought, conscience, religion, and belief
• Freedom of peaceful assembly, association, and movement
• Right to justice, liberty, and freedom from discrimination

If you talk to Tauranga candidates, remind them that our current laws, both ancient and modern, need to be observed, no ifs or buts.