Government Press Release-

Deputy Prime Minister Bill English and Māori Affairs Minister Dr Pita Sharples today announced the 12 appointees to the Constitutional Advisory Panel. The Government confirmed last December that it would conduct a wide-ranging review of New Zealand’s constitutional arrangements – including the size of Parliament, the length of the electoral term, Māori representation, the role of the Treaty of Waitangi and whether New Zealand needs a written constitution.

The first thing I noticed about this issue is its extra-ordinary low media profile. Here’s one of the most important governance initiatives in NZ’s history and it hardly produces a blip on the political radar screen.

Then I read about what was planned and who was “selected” and it became apparent that the politicians we are suffering today have badly misunderstood the message. Here it is guys-

WE DON”T LIKE YOU. WE DON’T TRUST YOU. WE REGARD YOU AS INCOMPETENT, DEVIOUS AND SELF SERVING. WE WANT YOU TO GO AWAY. STOP LOOTING US. STOP INTERFERING IN OUR LIVES.

GET OUT OF OUR FACES AND GO AWAY AND LOOK AFTER YOUR OWN DAMN BUSINESS.

A Constitution’s main purpose is to protect citizens from the predations of totalitarian government. That’s why the only one’s worth a pinch of goat excrement are those written after revolutions.

Why would we trust a group of people who have spent the last few decades governing completely free of any constitutional limits, to write a constitution rolling back the power they have assumed? We have racial preferences. We have the removal of traditional legal rights. We have savage attacks on freedom of political expression. We have legislative theft of one man’s earnings and their distribution to another man. We have so many breaches of natural rights it would be impossible to list them here. All enshrined in laws passed by the same cynical deceivers who are now proposing to write a constitution. Laughable. Just utterly laughable.

How can those who implemented all of these restraints be trusted to form a constitution, a task that if carried out effectively, would make so much of what they have done over the last few decades unlawful? Which it should undoubtedly do if said constitution is to have any real worth.

Hey politicians- You see the economic meltdown on the near horizon? You caused it. You socialists and your cronyist mates in so called “business”. You have no credibility, you have earned only contempt and derision. Not only for the economic disaster we are facing but because of so many other acts of malfeasance.

Who selected the selectors? You are outright liars who said one thing to get elected and another thing after the election. You are racists. You are separatists. You are fraudsters. We have a parliament drowning in its own dishonour. You work hand in hand with a lying and deceitful politically partisan media conglomerate. You have covered this country with a shroud of dishonesty and deceit the likes of which it has never seen before, in its entire history.

And at this crucial period in time, one our society and civilisation will be lucky to survive, you expect us to endow upon you the right to draft a Constitution??

We would never trust you or the people you have “selected” to carry out such a task. Go away. Leave it. Abandon your plans. This must be left until the sick socialist syndrome that has so destroyed much of the western world has passed or been destroyed by revolution. It cannot happen with the state of things today.

Over the fold is a breakdown of the background of the mainly lawyers, Maori activists and academics and political favourites who have been “selected”. I’ve got so many concerns with this, I can’t write them all here, but the first impression I get is that the whole exercise is another sell out by the weak and duplicitous John Key of the rest of NZ while he again sucks up to Maori TOW gravy train riders. The primary intent of this whole exercise in Constitution writing would appear to be to enshrine the TOW in the document.

Footnote- I notice NZ Pravda Herald columnist David Farrar is (as usual) carrying water for John Key and the National Party on this issue. Another reason to be mistrustful of the intent. This is the guy who demonstrated a pretty damning degree of cynicism when he campaigned vociferously against the Electoral Finance bill when Labour proposed it, but cheered for it when National implemented it. For Mr. Farrar its all about parties, not principles. Now he wants a Constitution to protect free speech?? Don’t be fooled again.

GOVERNMENT PRESS RELEASE

Constitutional Advisory Panel named

Deputy Prime Minister Bill English and Māori Affairs Minister Dr Pita Sharples today announced the 12 appointees to the Constitutional Advisory Panel.

The Government confirmed last December that it would conduct a wide-ranging review of New Zealand’s constitutional arrangements – including the size of Parliament, the length of the electoral term, Māori representation, the role of the Treaty of Waitangi and whether New Zealand needs a written constitution.

It was the start of a considered process that would take place over three years.

The Constitutional Advisory Panel is an independent group that will lead public discussion on constitutional issues that are under review and will then report to the Ministers.

The Panel will be co-chaired by Emeritus Professor John Burrows and Sir Tipene O’Regan, of Ngāi Tahu. The other members are:

• Peter Chin
• Deborah Coddington
• Hon Dr Michael Cullen
• Hon John Luxton
• Bernice Mene
• Dr Leonie Pihama
• Hinurewa Poutu
• Professor Linda Smith
• Peter Tennent
• Emeritus Professor Ranginui Walker

The Panel will begin work shortly on a plan to inform public debate on New Zealand’s constitutional arrangements.

“The panel has a broad range of skills, including constitutional expertise and experience with community engagement,” Mr English says. “It will lead a forum for New Zealanders to develop and share ideas on constitutional issues, which we expect to be in place in 2012.”

“An important part of the review process will be consultation with Māori, particularly on the place of the Treaty of Waitangi in our constitution,” Dr Sharples says. “The members of this group are well placed to seek out and understand the perspectives of Māori on these important issues.”

The Panel will report to the Ministers in September 2013, identifying areas of broad public consensus and where further work is recommended.

Biographical information:

Emeritus Professor John Burrows QC (Co-chair): Professor Burrows is currently a Law Commissioner. He has extensive legal expertise and has written a leading text on statute law in New Zealand. He has led or jointly led Law Commission reviews of the Presentation of New Zealand Statute Law, Privacy, the Official Information Act 1982, Tribunals in New Zealand, and Private Schools and the Law.

Sir Tipene O’Regan (Co-chair) (Ngāi Tahu): Sir Tipene has extensive academic, governance, Treaty negotiations and Māori leadership experience. From a background in tertiary education he became Ngāi Tahu’s chief Treaty claim negotiator. In more recent years he has led debate on developing iwi economic structures and modernising iwi governance models. He is currently the Upoko (traditional head) of one of the 18 constituent regional rūnanga of Ngāi Tahu. Over the past 40 years he has served as a director or trustee of a wide range of commercial and non-profit enterprises in the public, private and Māori sectors.

Deborah Coddington: Ms Coddington is an experienced journalist and author. Ms Coddington was a Member of Parliament from 2002 until 2005.

Peter Chin: Mr Chin is currently a consultant with Webb Farry Lawyers He has expertise in community engagement and representation (including as a former Mayor of Dunedin), and over 40 years’ legal experience. Mr Chin is a highly respected member of the Chinese community.

Hon Dr Michael Cullen: Dr Cullen is currently the Chairman of NZ Post and Principal Treaty Claims Negotiator for Tūwharetoa iwi. Dr Cullen has experience of machinery of government and Treaty of Waitangi/Crown-Māori relations. Dr Cullen was a long-serving member of Parliament, including as Deputy Prime Minister, Attorney-General, Minister in Charge of Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations, Minister of Finance and Leader of the House.

Hon John Luxton: Mr Luxton is currently an agribusiness entrepreneur, company director and consultant. Mr Luxton has expertise in government, governance, Crown-Māori relations and community connections. He is a former Minister and electorate MP. Mr Luxton has experience in co-management (as co-chair of the Waikato River Authority) and representing farming and other interests alongside Māori interests.

Bernice Mene: Ms Mene is currently a TV presenter on education and netball programmes. She has a strong public profile, project management experience and the ability to connect with the community. Ms Mene has represented New Zealand in netball and is a member of the New Zealand Order of Merit. She is also a qualified teacher and has represented New Zealand at OECD education forums.

Dr Leonie Pihama (Te Ātiawa, Ngā Māhanga a Tairi, Ngāti Māhanga): Dr Pihama is a senior Māori researcher in Māori and Indigenous education with a focus on Kaupapa Māori. She has lectured in policy analysis, Māori women’s issues, and representation of indigenous people, and was the Director of the International Research Institute for Māori and Indigenous Education at the University of Auckland Dr Pihama is a staunch advocate of Kaupapa Māori, and has also been involved in film and media production, and served on the Māori Television Board during its establishment phase.

Hinurewa Poutu (Ngāti Rangi, Te Āti Haunui a Pāpārangi, Ngāti Maniapoto): Ms Poutu is a doctoral student at Massey University and a teacher at Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Mana Tamariki. She is a graduate of kura kaupapa Māori, with an academic and work record in studying, researching and teaching te reo Māori. Ms Poutu also has journalism experience and has worked as a Māori language media consultant.

Professor Linda Tuhiwai Smith (Ngāti Awa, Ngāti Porou): Professor Smith is currently Pro Vice-Chancellor (Māori) and a Professor of Education and Māori Development and the University of Waikato. Professor Smith is an internationally renowned author, and authority on Maori and Indigenous research and education. She has worked as a Treaty negotiator for Ngāti Porou, and was Deputy Chair of Te Wānanga o Awanuiārangi. Professor Smith is also a member of the Marsden Fund Council and the Health Research Council.

Peter Tennent: Mr Tennent is a former Mayor of New Plymouth. He trained as an accountant and spent much of his life as a hotelier and in public life. As Mayor of New Plymouth, he emphasised community involvement and encouraged public engagement. Mr Tennent was nominated for World Mayor in 2010, and judged to be in the top 10 world community leaders.

Emeritus Professor Dr Ranginui Walker (Whakatohea): Dr Walker is a member of the Waitangi Tribunal, and well known Maori author and academic. His groundbreaking book Ka whawhai tonu matou, struggle without end has become a reference text for the history of the modern Maori renaissance. He has organised many Māori leadership conferences on urbanisation, gangs, Māori land, Māori fisheries, Māori educational development and Māori representation in Parliament, and is widely published on Māori anthropology, education and development.