Constitution

Inquiry into New Zealand's Constitutional Arrangements

It is UnitedFuture policy to:

Embark on a public education process on constitutional matters, leading towards consideration of New Zealand as a republic within the Commonwealth in the future.
Develop a timetable for considering constitutional reform issues, such as a written constitution and the role of the Treaty of Waitangi, by public referendum, with a view to implementing changes from 2017.
Establish a New Zealand Day separate from Waitangi Day to celebrate our nation’s history, multicultural society, and to discuss the potential for the future
Introduce a Multicultural Act, similar to Canada, for the preservation and enhancement of multiculturalism in New Zealand.

It is UnitedFuture policy to:

Investigate an extension of the Parliamentary term to four years, with a fixed election day.

Initiate a referendum on the future of Maori seats in Parliament with a view to abolishing the seats by 2017. This would give effect to the recommendation in the 1986 Royal Commission on the Electoral System.

It is UnitedFuture policy to:

Task the Local Government Commission with a review of the size and shape of all local government areas in order to reduce local government activity to a pre-1995 level.
Rationalise and align all boundaries of elected and appointed government entities by the next local body election.