Independent constitution group invites submissions
Submissions
on New Zealand’s constitutional future may be made to the Independent
Constitutional Review Panel, chair David Round said today. The
independent panel has opened submissions because the government’s official
Constitutional Advisory Panel (CAP), which begins receiving public submissions
this week, has consulted mainly with Maori, with the general public largely
unaware of its existence.
“The CAP’s
consultation is primarily directed to Maori with almost half of the
$4.1-million in taxpayers’ funding earmarked specifically for that purpose,” Mr
Round said.
“We are
therefore doing what CAP isn’t – appealing to all New Zealanders to make
submissions. At the end of the submission process we will be presenting a truly
independent report on what New Zealanders feel about a written constitution
that has the Treaty of Waitangi ‘principles’ as its basis,” Mr Round said.
Mr Round
said the official panel’s agenda was undemocratic.
“The panel
was established at the behest of the Maori party with the announced intention
of bringing the treaty into our constitution. Its terms of reference clearly
aim to subject democratically-established laws to undefined ‘treaty
principles’, and also to make parliaments and other institutions less
democratic by introducing racial quotas and representation”, he said.
“Because of
the funding bias, Maori radicals and malcontents are following it eagerly, and
inevitably submissions to the official panel will quite misrepresent public
attitudes,” he said.
“There is
no point in wasting time and energy before such a biased tribunal. That is why
we are urging our fellow-citizens to come to our independent panel, which
actually wants to understand and listen to them”, Mr Round said.
“Nations
get the governments, and the constitutions, they deserve,” Mr Round said.
“Liberty can be lost, just as it can be won. Its price continues to be eternal
vigilance,” he said.
Submissions
can be made on the www.ConstitutionalReview.org
website by following the “Make an on-line submission” link.
The
independent panel’s other members are professors Martin Devlin, Elizabeth Rata
and James Allan, Dr Muriel Newman and Mike Butler.
For further
information contact:
David Round
(03)3294-605
027-3294-605
2 comments:
The thing that surprises me, is the fact that almost all N.Z.ers KNOW what's happening in the country, but the grand ogre of APATHY has almost all of us in its grip. When N.Z.ers have the intestinal fortitude to stand up for themselves, is the day things MAY start to change. Who's going to throw the first stone ?.
Why hasn't a submission been made to the Race Relations Office concerning the fact that the govt. constitutional review is biased and that to embed the treaty into a constitution is racist, and as most of New Zealand does not know the implications of the treaty being embedded in the proposed NZ constitution, the early submission date is unacceptable? The cut off date for submissions is far too soon considering there has been no widespread public debate re the pro's and con's. Could not the review panel start a referendum post haste and send it to all submitters of emails to send to the Race Relations office demanding more time to fully and publicly review the proposal. I would do it myself if I had the knowledge of how to prepare and get a referendum under way! The race relations office must surely respond to a referendum by large numbers insisting on a much later submission date and a thorough widespread public review to be undertaken before any such far reaching and irrevocable decision affecting all NZers now and for all time is made. Please, Please, will somebody with the appropriate skills get a referendum under way for the Race Relations office immediately!
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