Protect Local Democracy

The consultation period for this campaign is now over. Over 2,000 Kiwis contacted the Chair of the Local Government Commission, calling on him to protect the voice of ratepayers, the voice of councillors, and say no to ambiguous codes of conduct that will only serve to censor. We're saying, rework the code of conduct draft, or drop it entirely. Keep an eye out for our work for updates on this campaign. 

Here's some of what we said: 

"We have serious concerns about the Local Government Commission’s draft Code of Conduct currently available for public consultation, and call on you to act now. The draft is vague, inconsistent, and wide open to abuse.

• It would shield unelected officials from legitimate scrutiny and undermine the democratic role of councillors.
• It would allow lawful criticism to be penalised, chilling the very political expression that the New Zealand Bill of Rights Act is designed to protect. It would stifle local councillors’ ability to openly express the views of their constituents.
• It would turn councillors' debates into reputation management exercises.
• It would overreach into councillors’ personal lives and compel speech and opinion.
• It would centralise power to investigators, which is inconsistent with natural justice and would guarantee overreach.

We urge you to completely rework this draft, or even better, drop it entirely.

Our democracy will not flourish if local governments do not respect Kiwis' speech rights."

You can find our full submission here: FSU Submission Local Government Commission's Draft Code of Conduct