BILL OF RIGHTS

Press, Volume C, Issue 29634, 3 October 1961, Page 14

BILL OF RIGHTS

Legislation Postponed

(From Our Own Reporter) WELLINGTON, October 2. Legislation to provide a bill of rights for New Zealanders, as promised by the National Party at the 1960 Generat Election will not now be introduced this session. Although he had earlier indicated his intention to produce such a bill this year, the Attorney - General (Mr Hanan) tonight announced that its production would l/e postponed. “The enormous legislative programme, possibly a record, is the reason,” he said. This is the first of the measures which the Government intended to have passed this session which it has decided to delay. It promised last November to pass a bill of rights similar to that adopted recently by the Canadian Government. The Minister of Internal Affairs (Mr Gotz) who in June said legislation to guarantee public access to local body meetings might be included in the bill of rights, said tonight that a separate measure would be introduced soon. The bill he is now having prepared will confer rights for the public to attend sucn meetings unless a local body decides by resolution that the public will be excluded. If it does so, it will have to give reasons.