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    Scrap the UNDRIP clause from the India FTA

    Democracy Action is urging New Zealanders to continue lobbying MPs to remove Article 13.2 — the UNDRIP clause — from the New Zealand–India Free Trade Agreement before ratification. Continue reading

    Mana Whakahono a Rohe: the death of democracy by a thousand cuts?

    A major shift in local government is occurring through Mana Whakahono ā Rohe (MWaR) agreements under the Resource Management Act. These agreements are creating long-term participation and governance arrangements between councils and iwi authorities. The growing use of MWaR agreements is raising wider questions about democratic accountability, public oversight, governance, and who ultimately makes decisions affecting local communities. The Far North District Council’s agreement with Te Rūnanga-Ā-Iwi-Ō-Ngāpuhi demonstrates how extensive these arrangements can become. Continue reading

    News, Views, Commentaries……

      See more posted on the Democracy Action Facebook page The FNDC debacle – Why democracy matters Peter Williams examines the lessons from the Far North District Council experience and highlights the importance of ensuring that those who make decisions on behalf of communities remain directly accountable to the people they serve. READ MORE   Continue reading

    Oral Submission to the Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade Committee on the New Zealand–India Free Trade Agreement

    Oral Submission to the Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade Committee on the New Zealand–India Free Trade Agreement Opposing the Inclusion of UNDRIP Delivered on behalf of Democracy Action Inc. 28/05/26 Chair and Committee Members, thank you for the opportunity to speak today. My name is Lee Short, appearing for Democracy Action. We are a non-partisan group of New Zealand citizens, founded in 2012, concerned about the erosion of democratic equality and the principle of one person, one vote, regardless of ancestry. Continue reading

    DA submission Resource Legislation Amendment Bill 2015

    RE RESOURCE LEGISLATION AMENDMENT BILL This submission is on the iwi provisions in the Resource Legislation Amendment Bill Submitted on the 7th March 2016 Continue reading

    Watered Down Democracy

    Water services under new management: regional entities, iwi partnerships, and the end of local control. Across New Zealand, new water service entities are being established under the Government’s “Local Water Done Well” framework, marking a significant shift in how water services are owned, controlled, and politically overseen. Continue reading