Happy New Year to you! I hope you have had the chance to rest, relax and enjoy the sun.
With two important deadlines looming this month, we have had to hit the ground running...
They are:
- petitions to force a public poll on Maori wards must be received by February 21st; and
- the 26th February deadline for registering as an interested party in the claims made in the High Court under the Marine and Coastal Area Act. (Details on how to go about doing this are available in the newsletter below).
The year has begun with some good news for democracy. Congratulations to the people of the Western Bay of Plenty - they are an inspiration to us all. A small band of volunteers have substantially exceeded collecting the required number of signatures to force a public vote on Maori wards. See Sunlive article here.
Help is being sought to collect signatures for petitions to spark polls in Palmerston North, Manawatu, Whakatane and Kaikoura. (Please contact us at [email protected] if you can help, and we’ll pass on your details to the organisers in these areas).
We have dedicated the February edition of our newsletter to the claims made under the Marine and Coastal Area Act. This is a huge issue for New Zealand, and one the mainstream media are not interested in covering. I encourage you all to become involved in any way you can, e.g. spreading information, registering as interested parties in the claims, and/or supporting others who have registered, contacting MPs etc. We need all hands on deck!
Thank you for your continued interest and support. If you have any suggestions you would like to offer, or if you need further information or help, please do not hesitate to contact us at [email protected]
And please help spread the message by sharing our newsletters with anyone who may be interested. You can receive further updates by registering or joining us.
Kind regards,
Susan Short