Wednesday, 30 April 2008, 4:01 pm Press Release: Gordon Copeland
Gordon Copeland Press Release For Immediate Release
Wednesday, 30th April 2008
Copeland queries count on
anti-smacking petition
Independent MP Gordon Copeland has
forwarded a letter to the Government Statistician seeking
clarification of the methodology used to determine the
number of valid signatures on Sheryl Savill’s petition on
the anti-smacking law.
“Admittedly I am far from
objective about this matter since I have lent my
wholehearted support to the petition from its inception,”
said Mr Copeland.
“However it is of vital importance to
the functioning of our democracy that the process for
determining the result of the petition accords with the
Citizens Initiated Referendum Act 1993 and is accurate,
verifiable, and transparent.”
“It is perhaps unusual
for an MP to query the work of the Government Statistician
in such a matter, but I feel it is incumbent upon me to
raise this matter in the public interest.”
“With that
in mind, I attach hereto a copy of my letter to the
Government Statistician, Mr Geoff Bascand.”
If you're using Scoop for work, your organisation needs to pay a small license fee with Scoop Pro. We think that's fair, because your organisation is benefiting from using our news resources. In return, we'll also give your team access to pro news tools and keep Scoop free for personal use, because public access to news is important!
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
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
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
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