INDEPENDENT CONSTITUTION GROUP INVITES SUBMISSIONS

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Independent constitution group invites submissions

Monday, 25 February, 2013 - 17:02

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.

The independent panel’s other members are professors Martin Devlin, Elizabeth Rata and James Allan, Dr Muriel Newman and Mike Butler.
 

Submissions can be made here > http://www.nzcpr.com/ConstitutionalRevi ... SSIONS.htm

Independent Constitutional Review website > http://www.ConstitutionalReview.org

 

http://www.voxy.co.nz/politics/independ ... s/5/148407

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Excellent letter in todays NZ Herald

 

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Sunday Star-Times letter to the Editor 10/3/13

 

Dear Sir,

Last week you published a juxtaposition of two letters. One about understanding Maori and the reason for the settlements.

 

The other letter pointed out that Ngati Tuwharetoa have not only received their settlement of the lakebed on Lake Taupo, they also receive an annual fee of $1.5 million and we, the taxpayers, also pay ongoing costs involved in stewardship of the lake. Now the tribe is also charging everyone who uses the lake for the Ironman an extra fee to swim in their lake.

 

It is this obvious greed of Maori that causes our discontent, it appears that they are always looking around the corner for another opportunity to exploit the rest of us.

 

If the upcoming written constitution of New Zealand does entrench the Treaty of Waitangi as the Maori Party wish it to, then expect so much more of the same.

 

We must not let this happen! It is undemocratic, it is apartheid, it is totally unacceptable!

 

R. B

Tauranga

[Uriah Heap 481]

I wonder if, in 2178, after another "165 years of pain and suffering", New Zealanders might well be debating the unwritten "principles" in the NZ Constitution, first drafted in 2013.

One of the Constitutions clauses needs to read "There are no hidden principles in this document".

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A public information campaign to encourage the wider public to have their say on the government’s

constitutional review has now been launched.
While the Maori Party is pushing for a new constitution based on the Treaty of Waitangi as supreme law,

the peoples 'Independent Constitutional Review Panel' is promoting a future based on equality, not race.

You can see where to send your submissions and read the full text of the ad here > http://www.nzcpr.com/ConstitutionalRevi ... aperAd.pdf

 

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WINSTON PETERS ON THE CONSTITUTION REVIEW

 

In the area of constitutional issues we can report that New Zealand continues its steady march towards a state of legal separatism!

 

The constitutional review is underway.

 

We have refused to take part in this sham review because it was stacked in favour of the Maori Party’s determination to make the Treaty of Waitangi the cornerstone of our system.

 

Already unelected Maori representatives are creeping into democratically elected bodies – like the Auckland City Council and a number of other local councils and regional authorities.

 

New Zealanders from all backgrounds have died for freedom and democracy.

 

We say democracy cannot exist when it tries to include tribalism as part of its governance structure.

 

Remember Abraham Lincoln described democracy as Government of the people, by the people, for the people.

 

By this he meant that representation should come from the people themselves and not from some hereditary ruler.

 

There is nothing wrong with belonging to a family group, hapū, iwi or clan.

 

Some of us have a mother from a clan and a father from an iwi!

 

It’s something to be proud of.

 

It gives us a sense of belonging and a proud heritage of support and loyalty.

 

But it certainly does not mean we have a right to govern Northland or anywhere else!

 

We seek office through the ballot box not the backdoor of some perceived entitlement.

 

New Zealand First stands firmly on the principle of one rule of law for everyone and one vote for everyone.

 

So we will closely monitor and scrutinise the Constitutional review to see the interests of all New Zealanders are not sold short.

 

And as you know, the National Party has pandered further to the Maori Party by allowing claims for “Customary Title” over hundreds of kilometres of coastline and in some cases, 12 miles out to sea.

This is an extremely dangerous development.

 

The word title means ownership and we believe that our foreshore and seabed is publicly owned and should remain so.

 

http://auckland.scoop.co.nz/2013/05/winston-peters-what-a-week/

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The peoples’ 'Independent Constitutional Review' advertisement featuring in today’s Herald on Sunday and Sunday Star Times is part of a nation-wide public information campaign to raise awareness of the government’s constitutional review and the serious consequences for New Zealand of a Treaty-based constitution.

Given that most people have not even heard of the review - which closes at the end of this month - we would be very grateful for any help you can give in sharing this around.

For clear text of the ad or to share use this link please >   http://www.nzcpr.com/ConstitutionalReviewNewspaperAd.pdf

 

 

 

 

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In trying to raise awareness of this government-supported attack on our democracy, the grassroots peoples 'Independent Constitutional Review' has developed a newspaper advertisement. We are now placing it nationwide as funds allow.

 

Ads were in last Friday’s Weekend Sun (Tauranga), Herald on Sunday and Sunday Star Times (9/6/13).

The Nelson Leader today > http://nelsonleader.realviewdigital.com/#folio=34

 

Hawkes Bay Today & Otago Daily Times this weekend. Further major papers have been booked over the coming week.

 

We need to act quickly to inform and encourage the wider public so they can make a submission to the Government’s Constitutional Advisory Panel by 30th June 2013.

 

So if you or anyone you know can help us place more advertisements, it would be greatly appreciated.

 

Ad Donations can be made online at : http://www.nzcpr.com/ConstitutionalReviewDONATE.htm

 

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Constitution and conflict

 

The consensus of opinion from those who attended ‘The Independent Outlook on the NZ Constitutional Review’ meeting at Bureta Park on Monday evening,with a presentation by David Round, Chairman of the Independent Constitutional Review Panel (ICRP) was that it was an overwhelming success. 

ICRP was formed to counter the mischief being created by the Government (or should I say Maori Party) stacked Constitutional Advisory Panel which clearly does not have an open mind so that others who are actually independent need to represent the public interest. 

 

The message came across loud and clear – the Declaration of Equality (www.constitutionalreview.org) spells out what needs to happen to ensure there is one law for all and one class of citizenship in this country.

 

David Round is well versed and knowledgeable on Constitutional and Treaty issues. In excess of 300 people heard his message and hopefully took note of the implications.  This was one of the larger Tauranga public meetings in recent years.

It is clear we, as New Zealanders, need to oppose separatism and bi-culturalism. 

 

New Zealand’s democracy and our way of life is under serious threat. 

 

As Edmund Burke said, “all that is necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing”. 

 

The ball is squarely in all New Zealander’s court!!

R B, Papamoa.

http://www.sunlive.co.nz/news/46429-constitution-and-conflict.html

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PRESS STATEMENT - immediate release

 

27 June 2013

 O’Regan’s Nazi sympathiser remark sparks complaint
 
Dismay at Sir Tipene O’Regan’s “Nazi sympathiser” remark last week prompted the Independent Constitutional Review Panel to write an open letter to Deputy Prime Minister Bill English.
 
Sir Tipene, the co-chair of the official Constitutional Advisory Panel grouped, lumped together “those who wish to reverse Maori influence” with “extremist groups” and “Nazi sympathisers”, in a recent speech in Dunedin marking the Maori New Year.
 
David Round, who chairs the independent panel, said that members of the government’s advisory group were required to be “seen as fair and open to a range of views”.
 
“Yet here is the panel’s co-chair announcing that all those opposing continued further Maori influence are next door to Nazi sympathisers,” Mr Round said.
 
“O’Regan’s ‘extremists’ were simply ordinary decent New Zealanders whose opinions have the misfortune to differ from those of the panel’s co-chair and not a few of his colleagues, who therefore intend to dismiss them without a moment’s consideration,” he said.
 
“And for him to refer to supposed public submissions available to no-one else in order to pursue a political programme would not be tolerated if done by anyone else,” Mr Round said.
 
The Constitutional Advisory Panel has just extended its period for public submissions until the end of July, in order, according to Sir Tipene, to “take the pulse of middle New Zealand”.
 
Mr Round said: “This is what the panel has been supposed to be doing all this year.”
 
Sir Tipene’s call for “serious-minded” people to make submissions to the panel “was a dog-whistle call for people who agreed with him,” Mr Round said.  “Clearly there haven’t been enough so far.” 
 
Mr Round said that that contemptuous attitude was no more than could be expected from “someone who also warned of New Zealand remaining ‘another little Anglo leftover’ if it did not advance Maori in its constitution”.
 
“Gratuitous insults to one of our great blessings, our British constitutional inheritance, are public announcements of the panel’s own radical agenda,” Mr Round said.
 
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
djround@xnet.co.nz
(03)3294-605
027-3294-605

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Govt 'must do more' to get Constitutional Review submissions

Sunday, 14 July, 2013 - 16:25

The extension of public submissions on the Constitutional Review Panel to July 31st 2013 was welcome news, but it will serve no purpose if the Government and Constitutional Review Panel fail to do more to engage with New Zealanders, ACT Party Constitutional Review Spokesman Robin Grieve said today.

"The Review Panel will be writing a report that addresses matters of great importance to all New Zealanders and therefore it must canvass the views of a large cross section of people. With only 1500 submissions received when the deadline was extended, it is clear that not enough is being done to ensure that this happens," Mr Grieve said.

"ACT has been doing its part by holding public meetings to ensure New Zealanders are informed, but the Government and Review Panel need to step up their efforts.

"The review provides an opportunity for all New Zealanders to have a say on a wide range of subjects, including the term of parliament, Maori seats, whether New Zealand should have one written constitution and whether that should include reference to the Treaty of Waitangi

"The submission process need be no more than writing a few paragraphs and sending them in. People should not be overawed by the process and should also realise the value of their submission.

"I urge all New Zealanders to ensure their voices are heard as well by making a submission by July 31st," Mr Grieve said.

 

http://www.voxy.co.nz/politics/govt-must-do-more-get-constitutional-review-submissions/5/161309

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Thank you to everyone who sent in a submission to the government's Constitutional Review - over 2,000 submissions were received by the Constitutional Advisory Panel. We have been advised by the Ministers in charge of the Review that the Panel does intend to make the submissions available publicly, but they have not as yet decided on the timing.

While the CAP review has closed, our own peoples 'Independent Constitutional Review' is remaining open until next month. If you have not yet sent in a submission and would like to do so, please visit our website at www.ConstitutionalReview.org and follow the link. And please don't forget to sign the Declaration of Equality while you are visiting the website - over 49,000 supporters of equal rights have signed but we are keen to reach 50,000 +

Thanks very much for your on-going interest and support.

Kindest regards,

Dr Muriel Newman
Convenor of the peoples 'Independent Constitutional Review'