Where To Now With Silver Fern?

Friday 13 Dec 2002 Stephen Franks Press Releases -- Other

Hon Trevor Mallard

Minister for Sport & Recreation

Dear Minister

Fern lead: All Blacks: New Zealand Rugby Football Union

Your Government chose to withdraw the SOP rather than defer consideration of the Statutes Amendment Bill for the week, suggested by ACT, to enable third parties to at least know about the proposal.

We have now been approached by people wanting to know:

1 Exactly what was proposed in its final form, and

2 What the Government will now do to ensure the Rugby Union's legitimate concerns about the World Cup are addressed in good time, and

3 What the Government intends to do to ensure that potentially affected third parties have an opportunity to comment.

4 The timetables (they want to know they will not again be ambushed by secret law changes with the collusion of other parties afraid of standing up for open process.

You marked the drafts we worked on (and improved, as the rugby Union's lawyers would acknowledge) "confidential". I propose to circulate the last one we received to the many people who registered concern. Please let me know before 5pm Monday if you have any objection.

You chose to misrepresent our position publicly as "blocking" the move to protect the All Black name.

Sincerely,

Stephen Franks MP

ACT New Zealand.

For more information visit ACT online at http://www.act.org.nz or contact the ACT Parliamentary Office at act@parliament.govt.nz.

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