02 April 2013

MEDIA STATEMENT

Wairarapa Residents Encouraged To Be Part Of The Constitution Conversation

This Thursday evening (4 April 2013), residents in Wairarapa have the chance to hear first-hand what the Constitution Conversation is all about and to consider how this country will be run in the future.

The Constitutional Advisory Panel which is an independent advisory group appointed by the Government is currently seeking submissions from New Zealanders on a range of constitutional issues.

The Panel’s terms of reference include seeking people’s views on the role of the Bill of Rights 1990 and the Treaty of Waitangi in our constitution; electoral matters such as the term of Parliament; Māori representation in national and local government and whether or not New Zealand should have a constitution written down in a single document.

The Wairarapa Community Law Centre has helped organise the forum, starting at 7pm in the Frank Cody Lounge of the Masterton Town Hall. Centre Manager Murray Henderson encourages all locals to find out more about the Constitution Conversation and to be part of it.

“It’s an issue that is important to all New Zealanders and they should have a say. At the moment, this is the only meeting being held in the Wairarapa that we are aware of, so we are hoping for a good turn out,” he said.

Local Constitutional Advisory Panel member Deborah Coddington, who will speak at the forum, says there’s a wealth of background information available to help people gain more understanding of the issues and some of these resources will be available at the meeting.

“We encourage people in Wairarapa to use this information to have their conversations and to prepare submissions to the Panel before July 1,” she said.

Supporting resources are also available online at www.ourconstitution.org.nz or can be ordered by calling 0508 411 411. You can also join the conversation online at www.facebook.com/TheConstitutionConversation.

The Constitutional Advisory Panel is due to report back to the Government on New Zealanders’ views about the constitution, with recommendations based on submissions received from the general public, by the end of 2013.

ENDS

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