Walkout no strike

Migration compact A good scenario

I find Left-wing correspondents are highly consistent in misrepresenting one or more elements of their argument.

This is illustrated by Greg Lloyd’s letter (Dec 7) about ‘‘National’s wildcat strike action’’. Attendance in the chamber is not a ‘‘condition of employment’’, so the walkout cannot We are being misled in the debate over whether New Zealand should sign the United Nations Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration in a few days’ time.

Despite Simon Bridges’ new opposition, Winston Peters is correct in stating that the National Party supported the compact’s creation.

In the UN General Assembly in September 2016, the National government voted for the adoption of the New York Declaration for Refugees and Migrants, which explicitly called for the generation of the compact.

However, the statement of Todd McClay, National foreign affairs spokesman, that the compact makes no distinction between legal and illegal migrants is correct and Peters’ labelling this statement as ‘‘demonstrably false’’ is itself false.

The word ‘‘illegal’’ does not once appear in the document and the compact is explicit in not differentiating between ‘‘. . . all migrants, regardless of their migration status’’ several times.

Strongly implying support for the elimination of any type of status distinction, the compact also commits signatory governments to ‘‘develop accessible and expedient Seemingly always on the lookout, The Dominion Post has unearthed another couple of flagbearers for assisted suicide in A death without pain: a family’s wish (Dec 7).

Reading further I found myself thoroughly perplexed. In this particular case the patient, Deborah, never explicitly requested assisted suicide, received ‘‘world class’’ palliative care and died painlessly surrounded by her loving family.

I can’t imagine a better scenario for a patient with a terminal illness. Had assisted suicide been available and requested there would have been ‘‘blood’’ on all hands involved – hardly a legacy to be proud of?

Monica Devine, Waterloo Email: letters@dompost.co.nz

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