Originally Posted by
Blue Skies
This is an interesting question.
Many countries have invoked States of Emergency or a step down, Emergency Powers at various points during the Covid pandemic. For instance the UK & Japan has recently during the Olympics.
Like many other countries NZ's constitutional arrangements allows the govt to temporarily suspend freedom of movement, size of gatherings, detain people, shut down businesses etc in an emergency such as a devastating earthquake, war or a pandemic.
Article 15 of the European Convention on Human Rights allows governments to 'declare a State of Emergency in times of war or other public emergency threatening the life of the nation'.
So what is acceptable if a small group of people endanger the lives of others by spreading false information in such a situation?
The Labour govt has shown no inclination towards using the powers it has to harshly force compliance, but personally I have no problem with anti-vaxers spreading dangerously false information being vilified.
Look at the tragic recent measles outbreak & deaths of all those children due to the anti-vaxers.
To my mind it is analogous to a person going berserk threatening to sink the ship and drown everyone along with them.