Mike Hosking is right: Human Rights Commission has lost its way

The Taxpayers’ Union is backing Mike Hosking’s criticism of the Human Rights Commission (HRC) after it opposed the Government’s proposed changes to Treaty clauses across 19 pieces of legislation.

Taxpayers’ Union Executive Director, Jordan Williams, said:

“Mike Hosking is right. The Human Rights Commission has lost its way. Instead of defending the equal rights of all Kiwis, it too often strays into political advocacy and ideological agendas.”

"Human rights are to be equally applied to every New Zealander. When the Commission starts campaigning to preserve race-based distinctions in legislation, it invites legitimate questions about whether it is fulfilling its statutory role.”

“The Commission predictably produces ideological submissions that the Government is free to ignore, while taxpayers are forced to pick up the bill. The role of the Treaty is a constitutional question, not a human rights one. Once again the HRC shows that it cannot remain politically neutral; taxpayers are entitled to ask why they should keep funding it.”