“Speaking to Jack Tame this morning on Q+A, Jacinda Ardern couldn’t even answer whether her co-governance scheme undermined a person’s basic right to a vote,” the ACT chief said. David Seymour.

“It is chilling to hear Jacinda Ardern call such an important issue ‘too simplistic’. The idea that one person should have a vote and that every human being is born the same with dignity is not an idea he should be so hard to answer for anyone who believes in a functioning liberal democracy.

“That’s why the ACT has called for a referendum, so we can have a meaningful debate and all New Zealanders can have their say. We are the only political party that is not afraid to have an honest conversation about issues like this.

“ACT’s petition for a referendum on co-governance has been signed over 25,000 times since it was launched in March this year.

“Clearly the Kiwis want to have this conversation. Co-governance is now everywhere but it has never been openly discussed or debated.

“No one in government ever asked if we wanted it. It’s just assumed that there should be two sets of political rights.

“No society in history has succeeded by having different political rights based on birth. Many New Zealanders came here to escape class, caste and apartheid.

“All the good political movements of the last four hundred years have aimed to end discrimination based on race, religion, gender and sexuality in order to treat everyone with the same dignity. We are the first country in history to achieve equal rights and to have divisiveness as official policy. It’s crazy.

“It’s time to have honest and bold conversations. New Zealanders are in and ACT will continue to lead the debate. »

The ACT petition is available here.

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