23 August 1999

UNITED CALLS FOR DELAY IN APPOINTMENT OF HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSIONER

United New Zealand leader, Hon Peter Dunne, is supporting calls for the appointment of the new Chief Human Rights Commissioner to be deferred until after the General Election.

Mr Dunne says that while he agrees with Justice Minister Tony Ryall that the Leader of the Labour Party is being unreasonable in her demand that all appointments be put on hold until after the Election, the position of Chief Human Rights Commissioner is in a different category from the normal range of Government appointments, and should therefore be treated differently.

"Mr Ryall has drawn attention to the raft of appointments made by the Labour Government in the few weeks before the 1990 Election, but I do not think any of them were in the category of the Chief Human Rights Commissioner."

"Given its nature, that position should be above any form or suggestion of political squabbling," he says.

Mr Dunne says he has been consulted by Mr Ryall regarding his proposed nominee for the position, and personally has no difficulty with the name suggested.

"However, I have made the point to him that because of the nature of the role of Chief Human Rights Commissioner, the appointment should not be made without consultation with the Leader of the Opposition."

"In the circumstances, I think this particular appointment should be held over until after the Election, but that it is perfectly proper for other appointments to proceed," he says.

ENDS

New Zealand's Liberal Party

MEDIA STATEMENT
HON PETER DUNNE, MP
LEADER UNITED NEW ZEALAND
Parliament Buildings, Wellington 1.
Ph: (04) 471 9410 or (025) 469 808. Fax (04) 499 7266.
e-mail: peter.dunne@parliament.govt.nz. Internet Address: http://www.united.org.nz

New Zealand's Liberal Party

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