The Green Party's Internet Rights and Freedoms Bill

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We (the NZOSS) encourage our members to read and contribute to this. Regardless of your political stripe, fleshing out this open document and discussing its implications will further our society's aims. All credit to the Greens for embracing free and open source methods and values in developing this policy platform.

Wednesday 22 April 2014

A Champion for Internet Rights and Freedoms

Championing Internet rights and freedoms, the Green Party has today launched New Zealand's first ever crowdsourced Internet Rights and Freedoms Bill.

With her unique background and experience in human rights law and ICT, Green Party Candidate for Rimutaka, Susanne Ruthven, helped Gareth Hughes MP to shape this Bill.

“I became a candidate for the Green Party to champion the rights and freedoms of New Zealanders”, said Mrs Ruthven.

“The Internet Rights and Freedoms Bill will not only protect the rights and freedoms of New Zealanders in the digital world, but the crowdsourced platform is a democratic way of empowering the public to have their say.

As well as enshrining these emerging rights and freedoms, this Bill will encourage innovation, protect users and ensure New Zealand's ICT sector continues to grow.”

Awarded the New Zealand Open Source Advocate of 2010 for her role as Co-Director for linux.conf.au held in Wellington in 2010, Mrs Ruthven advocates for a free, open and thriving Internet.

As a human rights barrister, Mrs Ruthven found it increasingly disheartening that the laws being passed are creating inequalities. Mrs Ruthven is standing as a candidate for the Green Party, with a view to becoming an MP in Parliament, where she can better protect the rights and freedoms of all New Zealanders.

The Green Party is a natural fit for her beliefs with a fairer, more compassionate New Zealand at the heart of good Green change.

The Internet Rights and Freedoms Bill proposes:

  • 10 ‘Internet Rights and Freedoms’, including the right to access and net neutrality; the right to encryption technology; and the right to privacy
  • Establishment of an Internet Rights Commissioner, as part of the Human Rights Commission, to allow New Zealanders to seek effective remedies for human rights violations online
  • A Chief Technology Officer for New Zealand, similar in scope to the role of Chief Science Advisor, to champion the Internet economy
  • A call for New Zealand to support a global Internet Rights Treaty.

To view the main Greens news release, go to: www.greens.org.nz

To view or participate in the Bill's draft, go to: www.greens.org.nz/InternetRightsBill