Damon Rusden: Rest of us should have to prove our values too

COMMENT: There is a lot of commentary regarding New Zealand First's proposal of a Respecting New Zealand Values Bill which emerged out of a popular vote for the remit to be considered for policy.

Values mentioned include respect for gender equality, legal sexual preferences, freedom of religion and, perhaps the most asinine, the freedom to drink booze.

It is beyond doubt many cultures' traditions, culture and religion clash with Western standards. That division is apparent in Europe and other places with large immigrant populations.

But this is dog-whistle politics; an impractical PR stunt which even the Minister of Internal Affairs (an NZ First MP) has said is unnecessary. We have laws for a reason; and unlike NZ First they don't discriminate. The foundation of our legal system is our values, and while it changes slowly it does eventually catch up with modern norms. People who break the law learn pretty quickly what our values are.

What frustrates me is the underlying message. Entertaining the idea of forcing others to live by "our values" implies that immigrants are unworthy, and they will automatically degrade New Zealand by merely existing. It's virtue signalling at its worst. The only audience this appeals to is patriotic New Zealanders who think immigrants are degrading the country.

This is wrong. Most immigrants in New Zealand (particularly refugees) contribute far more over their lifetime than the average "Kiwi".

The idea of forcing immigrants to conform promotes two things; that people who arrive in New Zealand are somehow exempt from the laws we have in place to protect liberty and that immigrants who arrive in New Zealand are a threat.

As a Kiwi now living in Nepal, I could argue that in some respects the people I've met here have better values than some Kiwis. In other ways they're worse.

The point is that every place, every person, is unique. "Our values" implies we are a homogenous group who all conform to the same identity. It's condescending and it's ludicrous. Sure, we as a country love rugby. But I know people who don't. Of course, who can forget fish 'n' chips? Some people despise it. Christianity? It's already beaten by atheists.

Our values are not generalisations drawn from the national character we see promoted on TV. Our values are drawn from millions of individuals who are each distinct, who each contribute in their own way and live their life as they choose. If themes emerge, it is through implicit consensus. And I have yet to see a consensus for shoving our "values" down the throats of recent arrivals.

We should not needlessly isolate people who want to live in New Zealand. This does nothing except pander to those who see "others" as a threat to "our" lifestyle. If immigrants are a genuine threat, they will either not be allowed here or what they do is illegal. All this law would do is legitimise the myth that Western civilisation is crumbling; and while there are genuine concerns with security overseas there is nothing that compares here. Suddenly seeing a mosque in your neighbourhood is not something that I would consider a threat - it is a monument to diversity.

Hate breeds hate. We should welcome immigrants who want to work and live in Aotearoa; because if we greet them at the airport demanding they conform to arbitrary values that politicians create then resentment will build.

I like to think that one of our values is to call out nonsense when we see it. This rhetoric is purely for the limelight, with tones of racism. What I value are compassion and inclusivity. I also like to think Kiwis value integrity - so if we're screening, let's not have a double standard. Let's test everyone. We should treat all races the same, right Winston?

• Damon Rusden ran as a Green Party candidate in the 2017 election.