Scoop has an Ethical Paywall
Work smarter with a Pro licence Learn More
Parliament

Gordon Campbell | Parliament TV | Parliament Today | Video | Questions Of the Day | Search

 

National forces Govt into back-down on pamphlets


Hon Gerry Brownlee MP National Party Local Government Spokesman

24 July 2003

National forces Govt into back-down on pamphlets

The National Party has forced the Government into an embarrassing back down on misleading pamphlets designed to inform the public about the new Local Government Act.

"By the Minister's own admission, the pamphlets are misleading," says National Party Local Government spokesman Gerry Brownlee.

"Now Chris Carter's being forced to withdraw and replace them at extra cost to the taxpayer.

"The pamphlets were put together by the Department of Internal Affairs but Mr Carter has admitted in Parliament today that he saw a draft," says Mr Brownlee.

"It would seem we now have another Minister who fails to read the material which is crossing his desk.

"It's concerning that Labour is only taking action because we've caught them out.

"The version designed for distribution among Maori says 'the old Local Government Act didn't include anything about Maori or the Treaty of Waitangi. The new Act has a number of references to Maori, and a Treaty section explaining why there are Maori provisions in the Act.'

"But the version which is destined for the hands of non-Maori said something completely different," Mr Brownlee says.

'Local Authorities do not have Treaty of Waitangi obligations under the Local Government Act (those responsibilities lie with the Crown)' "National believes this is yet another example of Labour's pervasive agenda, where Maori are being given one story and the rest of New Zealand is hearing something completely different," says Mr Brownlee.

"It's a serious breach of trust and it shows why Labour can't be trusted to honestly settle the dispute over ownership of our beaches and seabed.

"National stands for one standard of citizenship, while this Government continues to promote a double standard," Mr Brownlee says.

Ends

Advertisement - scroll to continue reading

Are you getting our free newsletter?

Subscribe to Scoop’s 'The Catch Up' our free weekly newsletter sent to your inbox every Monday with stories from across our network.

© Scoop Media

Advertisement - scroll to continue reading
 
 
 
Parliament Headlines | Politics Headlines | Regional Headlines



Gordon Campbell: On Dune 2, And Images Of Islam


Depictions of Islam in Western popular culture have rarely been positive, even before 9/11. Five years on from the mosque shootings, this is one of the cultural headwinds that the Muslim community has to battle against. Whatever messages of tolerance and inclusion are offered in daylight, much of our culture tends to be hostile to Islam when we’re sitting in the dark, with popcorn.
Any number of movie examples come to mind, beginning with Rudolf Valentino’s role (over a century ago) as the romantic Arab hero in The Sheik...
More


 
 


Government: One-stop Shop Major Projects On The Fast Track

The Coalition Government’s new one-stop-shop fast track consenting regime for regional and national projects of significance will cut red tape and make it easier for New Zealand to build the infrastructure and major projects needed to get the country moving again... More

ALSO:


Government: GPS 2024: Over $20 Billion To Get Transport Back On Track
Transport Minister Simeon Brown has released the draft Government Policy Statement (GPS) on Land Transport, outlining the Coalition Government’s plan to build and maintain a transport system that enables people to get to where they need to go quickly and safely... More

ALSO:

Government: Humanitarian Support For Gaza & West Bank

Winston Peters has announced NZ is providing a further $5M to respond to the extreme humanitarian need in Gaza and the West Bank. “The impact of the Israel-Hamas conflict on civilians is absolutely appalling," he said... More


Government: New High Court Judge Appointed

Judith Collins has announced the appointment of Wellington Barrister Jason Scott McHerron as a High Court Judge. Justice McHerron graduated from the University of Otago with a BA in English Literature in 1994 and an LLB in 1996... More

 
 
 
 
 
 

LATEST HEADLINES

  • PARLIAMENT
  • POLITICS
  • REGIONAL
 
 

InfoPages News Channels


 
 
 
 

Join Our Free Newsletter

Subscribe to Scoop’s 'The Catch Up' our free weekly newsletter sent to your inbox every Monday with stories from across our network.