United Future
Hon Peter Dunne

Dunne to Greens: let the people decide

 Mr Dunne said “This is an issue of great moral weight which has clearly divided Parliament and the nation.

“As a party that has consistently campaigned for a more direct form of participatory democracy, the Greens are now in a position to act on that principle, and see this issue decided by a popular referendum.

“The Greens have an extra responsibility in this matter as they are the MP’s who have agreed with the Labour-led Government to push this Bill through Parliament under urgency.

“I urge the Greens caucus today to consider my request carefully and sensibly to let all New Zealanders have a say on this crucial moral question,” said Mr Dunne.

Letter Attached:

7 December 2004

Jeanette Fitzsimons & Rod Donald

Co-leaders of the Green Party

PARLIAMENT BUILDINGS

Dear Jeanette and Rod

With the passage of the Second Reading of the Civil Union Bill by a narrow margin, it is clear that Parliament is deeply divided on this issue not on partisan lines, but also on grounds of individual conscience. It is also evident from media reports that the views of the wider electorate are similarly divided on this Bill.

This current Parliament has had an unprecedented number of these moral/conscience issues and it is perhaps understandable that the public are expressing their concerns about the effect these legislative changes are imposing on the wider community, changes about which they feel they have not been adequately consulted. All Parliamentarians should be sensitive to avoiding not only getting too far ahead of public opinion, but more importantly, creating a situation where the public feel remote from and ignored by Parliament. I need hardly remind either of you that it was this same sense of disempowerment that led to public voting for major electoral reform and the introduction of MMP. At the time, and I know from statements you have made subsequently, you have never doubted the correctness of that decision nor the right of public to express their choice by way of referendum. Indeed the Greens have been staunch champions of more direct democratic choices.

It is for this reason that I am calling on you similarly to encourage your Caucus members to allow the public to again exercise their choice on the Civil Union Bill and vote in support of Brian Donnelly’s S.O.P. requiring the Bill to be subject to, and confirmed by, a binding referendum. While acknowledging this is a conscience issue, I will certainly be encouraging my colleagues in the United Future Caucus to support Mr Donnelly’s amendment.

I am certain you will agree that this is an issue on which the views of New Zealanders should be heard and that Parliament listen to and abide by their decision.

I look forward to your positive response.

Yours sincerely

Hon Peter Dunne

MP for Ohariu Belmont

Leader, United Future