A perfect example of their failure as the opposition went on display today when the National Party published another false accusation about the Labour led Government, and more precisely that Defence Minister Peeni Henare had interfered directly in a writing competition to apparently get a controversial essay removed from the Internet.
Today, the National Party reported on Scoop:
Defence Minister Slow To Advocate, Quick To Censor
“It is extraordinary that Minister Henare has appeared to remember that he holds a ministerial warrant only now, prompted by an essay competition of all things. In singling out a member of the Army’s lowest rank – who will not be afforded a right of reply – the Minister is ‘punching down’ in a way that has deeply disappointed many service people.
It should come as little surprise that Penk is wrong to blame the Minister for interfering. The claim then that the Minister is also punching down, which history has taught us is the modus operandi of right wing governments, is also just another catchphrase that is being incorrectly used here by another underperforming National MP.
In fact Newstalk ZB along with other news agencies reported yesterday that it was a Defence Force decision to remove the controversial essay:
'An awful look': Defence Force criticised for pulling controversial essay
The essay that won a New Zealand Defence Force writing competition has been taken down - as it undermines 'inclusive culture.'
Newstalk ZB's obtained a copy of the article, which centres on free speech and anti-diversity.
It took out first prize in the private writing category, was published online, and then vanished.
In a statement, Army Chief Major General John Boswell accepts the decision to award the piece first place was an error.
So the Defence Force itself removed the essay because it undermined inclusive culture.
This information didn’t stop NACT and their hacks going on the attack though. In fact even after the Defence Force said it was their decision, they doubled down on their accusations, which in my opinion is a good indication of just how shallow the opposition has become.
What really shocks me is that the Defence Force chiefs went along with that. What’s happened to them? https://t.co/jnIZqCmwkm
— Judith Collins (@JudithCollinsMP) July 7, 2021
If you want to see how dead serious the Govt is about criminalising speech they disapprove of just look at how the Defence Minister had an defence force essay deleted & award revoked because the opinion expressed was anti-woke.
— Ani O'Brien (@aniobrien) July 7, 2021
The more I think about it, the scarier it is.
This really goes to show that the opposition isn’t interested in holding the Government to account. Instead they’re more interested in gotcha style politics that should've gone out of fashion when Cameron Slater lost his attack blog. Now that's some cancel-culture I'm sure we can all agree on.
Of course National and ACT don’t really believe in free speech…especially when people are criticising them for their dishonesty. If Judith Collins for instance actually believed in Kiwis being allowed to speak their minds, she wouldn’t have a Twitter block list from Stewart Island to Cape Reinga.
It's that type of double standard that makes National and ACT undeserving of any seat in Parliament, let alone the Government benches. They simply don't have any credibility on free speech, or any other important issues for that matter either.