Politics and Human Rights – Chilling Government proposal to remove voting rights

Yesterday news broke that the Government is proposing a total ban on voting for people in prison. Currently people in prison who are serving less than three years are able to vote.

The proposed blanket ban is a breach of human rights. The High Court has previously ruled it is an unjustifiable limitation on the rights protected by the New Zealand Bill of Rights Act and made a “declaration of inconsistency”, which was upheld in a Supreme Court decision. The 2023 Independent Electoral Review stated all prisoners should have the right to vote.

Lisa Woods, Movement Building and Advocacy Director for Amnesty International Aotearoa New Zealand, said:

“This is disturbing. Despite a raft of decisions and advice saying it breaches people’s human rights, the Government is still proposing this blanket ban, which will disproportionately harm Māori. The right to vote is a fundamental right. This Government’s proposal is chilling.

This policy is also incoherent. We’re seeing the stacking of punishment on top of punishment, when the focus should be on rehabilitation.
It fundamentally undermines human dignity. We all want a sense of agency. We all want respect and to have a say in the decisions that influence our lives. 

When systems are designed so we can all make a meaningful contribution, we can all benefit in so many ways, including more well-rounded and informed decision-making, stronger communities and feelings of belonging and connection.

Ultimately, we’re concerned that this is part of a wider raft of laws, policies and practices stripping away the foundations of our society.

We have to see the big picture and seriously question what path this is leading us down as a society. We must take a stand for the type of society we want. Te Tiriti provides a starting point – a strong foundation that offers a place for us all to belong, for respectful relationships to flourish and a just foundation for how we can make decisions together.”