< August 2025 newsletter


Further news, views, commentaries…….

See more posted on the Democracy Action Facebook page

A PAULING

Political commentator John MacLean argues that the claim by some that only the CRC can repeal the Canterbury Regional Council (Ngāi Tahu Representation) Act 2022 is antidemocratic claptrap, citing Parliamentary Rule 34.6.4: “A Government bill dealing with a matter of State policy can amend or repeal a local Act.”

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THE GREAT CO-GOVERNANCE SWINDLE

Political blogger Matua Kahurangi comments on the tribal takeover of local government. “What’s unfolding in Taupō and Waikato is nothing short of a democratic betrayal. Under the guise of Treaty partnership and environmental stewardship, iwi are being granted permanent, lucrative control over water, land access, and key decision-making in local communities”.

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Revolution by Judicial Decree: A Review of Professor Peter Watts KC’s “Ellis v R, A Revolution in Aotearoa New Zealand, Welcome or Not”

Roger Partridge reviews Professor Peter Watts KC’s analysis, which provides compelling evidence that the Ellis case represents a revolutionary change to our legal system, implemented without a democratic mandate or clear framework. “Watts’s careful exposition of the historical and constitutional context demonstrates why parliamentary intervention is essential to restore appropriate boundaries and legal certainty. The stability of our legal system and the rule of law itself demand no less”.

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REVERSING THE CULTURAL TAKEOVER

Dr Muriel Newman contends that the government and private sector organisations that have embedded Te Tiriti have become levers in a power game designed to replace democracy with tribal authority.

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SELWYN’S 634 PAGES OF SILENCE: THE THEATRE OF DEMOCRATIC SURRENDER

Selwyn District councillors received a 634-page agenda just 3 days before voting. Zoran Rakovic asks why no one protested.

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