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Download AudioGreen MP Golriz Ghahraman says her bill to extend prisoners’ voting rights will uphold Māori rights under the Te Tiriti o Waitangi.
The bill which has been drawn from the ballot would allow all prisoners to vote in general elections.
At present, that right is only available to those with sentences of less than three years.
She told Radio Waatea talk host Shane Te Pou it has been determined by multiple reviews that New Zealand disproportionately imprisons Maori and poor people.
“So we have a prison population that is made up of the prejudiced system and we’ve banned them from voting where even the Supreme Court has said this is a fundamental breach of human rights and the Waitangi Tribunal has said it’s a breach of Te Tiriti o Waitangi so it’s time for Government to say the criminal justice system isn’t there to take away peoples fundamental rights,” she says.
Ms Ghahraman says Labour MPs voted against the voting restriction when National introduced it, so they should act now to change it.
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