PRESS RELEASE

Protest March Planned in Support of the Human Rights Commission

Saturday 17 November, Queen Street, Auckland. 10.30am.

9 November 2007

I am pleased to announce that I have today lodged an application with the Auckland City Council to lead a protest march down Queen Street, Auckland.

The council have confirmed it is my democratic right to do so, and the march will leave from Aotea Square at 10.30am and proceeding to Britomart Place.

I and others will be protesting about the combined effect of the Electoral Finance Bill and the recently introduced Appropriation (Continuation of Interim Meaning of Funding for Parliamentary Purposes) Bill.

The combined effect of these two bills is to massively increase the amount of taxpayer money available to existing members of parliament and political parties to fund their re-election campaigns, while severely restricting the ability of private citizens to oppose them. This is an affront to democracy in New Zealand.

The Human Rights Commission has described the Electoral Finance Bill as “inherently flawed” and has called on the government to withdraw the bill and redraft it from scratch based on the over 600 public submissions.

To date, the government has failed to act on that recommendation.

The Commission has also called on the government to allow a further round of public submissions on whatever bill comes from the select committee process. To date, the government has given no indication it will do this.

We will be marching in support of the Human Rights Commission.

Those wishing to participate should assemble in Aotea Square from 10.00am with the march to leave at 10.30am.

The march will be widely advertised in the media next week.

Ends

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