New Zealand Parliament’s Heavy-Handed Response to Lawmaker Highlights Global Political Intolerance

In a striking display of political intolerance, New Zealand’s Parliament ejected Green Party co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick not once but twice after she challenged government MPs over their stance on Gaza and Palestinian state recognition. The episode, unfolding in Wellington’s debating chamber, reveals a troubling pattern seen worldwide: the suppression of dissenting voices under the guise of decorum. When Criticism Becomes Censure: Is Free Speech Under Threat? Swarbrick’s call for sanctions against Israel and her urgent plea for six government members “with a spine” to join her echoed a principle all Americans understand—the need to stand resolutely for justice and national...