John Robinson: A call for freedom of speech

To the leaders of the National, ACT and New Zealand First Parties

In 1940, as World War Two was raging, W H Auden voiced his despair and powerlessness: “While those whom we love are dying or in terrible danger, the overwhelming desire to do something this minute to stop it makes it hard to sit still and think.” 

This echoes my feelings (and yours surely) with the destruction of equality, democracy, and freedom of speech here in New Zealand:

While our freedoms that we love are in terrible danger, the overwhelming desire to do something this minute to stop it makes it hard to sit still and think.

I despair; I can do nothing, my voice will not be heard.  But you can speak out and your voices will be heard.  Please do so, with clarity, so that the reality may be spoken of, and a true debate can commence.

“I may not agree with what you have to say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it.”
(Attributed to French writer and philosopher Voltaire, 18th century)

 The policy of Co-governance has considerable importance to the way in which New Zealand is governed now and in the future.  It is vital that this idea be discussed widely.  A people’s democracy requires open debate, including informed criticism of existing and proposed government policies in public meetings.

This is not the situation now in New Zealand.  A well-informed opposing effort, ‘Stop Co-governance’, has been blocked as public venues have been refused by a number of Councils, suggesting a co-ordinated effort to prevent free speech to those who dare to raise important questions.  That situation applies across the country as proposals for meetings have been blocked, and letters and articles to local and national media have been refused. 

We ask for help to return freedom of speech to us, the citizens of New Zealand.

Then we can speak, and be heard, concerning the racism that states a belief in race (in legislation), divides us by race, and provides additional special powers to the chosen few.

We can then break free from the stranglehold of a document, the Treaty of Waitangi, that has been stripped of its original meaning so that ‘we are one people’ has become ‘we are two people, two races, separate’, now with co-governance and soon with two separate political systems and parliaments (as proposed in the He Puapua report and by the Maori Party).  Those truths cannot now be voiced, by current government fiat.

Only then can we come together as a people to define the sort of society and country that we want, now and for the future, placing equality at the forefront, free of the stranglehold of a distorted past that has been made a weapon for political and economic gain by a privileged few.

The freedom of speech, freedom to meet and to discuss the policy of the country is not just under attack, it is refused.  Will you speak out, loudly and clearly? 

I ask that you use all the powers of your position to assure that free speech is permitted, and that threats to free speech are not allowed to carry the day, as at present – starting with a clear and incontrovertible public statement.  Simply call for equality and freedom of speech.

Dr John RobinsonPhD (MIT, applied mathematics) is a research scientist, who has investigated a variety of topics, including the social statistics of Maori.  His recognition of fundamental flaws in the interpretation of nineteenth century Maori demographics led him to consider the history of those times in several books including: Our choice for the future: equality or tribal rule (2023, https://www.nzcpr.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/John-Robinson.pdf); Regaining a nation: equality and democracy (2022, Tross Publishing); He Puapua: Blueprint for breaking up New Zealand (2021, Tross Publishing); The kingite rebellion (2016, Tross Publishing).