Printed from https://fyi.org.nz./request/does_the_gore_district_council_o on November 16, 2024 05:32

Does the Gore District Council open its meetings with a prayer?

Alex Harris made this Official Information request to Gore District Council

The request was successful.

From: Alex Harris

Dear Gore District Council,

As you may have read recently, the Whanganui District Council abolished its opening prayer after a complaint was made to the Human Rights Commission. I'm interested in learning how widespread this practice is, so I'd like to request the following information under the LGOIMA:

* Does the Council open its meetings with a prayer? * If the answer to the above is "yes", then I'd like a copy of that prayer (or examples, if more than one is used), when the practice was first established, whether the council has considered abolishing it in the wake of the Whanganui decision, and any advice the council may hold on the prayer's compatibility with both the Human Rights Act 1993 and Bill of Rights Act 1990.

I would prefer to receive an electronic response. Queries about this request will be automatically forwarded to me by the fyi.org.nz website.

Yours faithfully,

Alex Harris

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From: Stephen Parry
Gore District Council

 

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From: Stephen Parry
Gore District Council

Dear Alex,

 

In response to your request dated 11 April 2012, I can advise that the
Council does open its meetings with a prayer. Please note that this only
applies to ordinary Council meetings. A prayer is not held before
Committee meetings.

 

The prayer is conducted by His Worship, who creates his own version each
time and does not refer to any written material. Mayor Tracy has been
Mayor of our District since 2004, so his customised and creative approach
to the opening prayer has been a part of our proceedings for a
considerable period of time.

 

To the best of my knowledge an opening prayer before Council meetings has
been a regular component of proceedings since the Council was established
in 1989.

 

Kind Regards,

 

 

Stephen Parry

Chief Executive

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From: Stephen Parry
Gore District Council

For completeness I should have added that the Council has not considered
abolishing its long standing practice of holding an opening prayer in the
wake of the Whanganui decision. I can also confirm that the Council does
not hold any advice on compatibility with the Human Rights Act 1993  or
the New Zealand Bill of Rights Act 1990.

 

From: Stephen Parry
Sent: Wednesday, 18 April 2012 6:06 p.m.
To: [OIA #138 email]
Subject: COUNCIL PRAYER

 

Dear Alex,

 

In response to your request dated 11 April 2012, I can advise that the
Council does open its meetings with a prayer. Please note that this only
applies to ordinary Council meetings. A prayer is not held before
Committee meetings.

 

The prayer is conducted by His Worship, who creates his own version each
time and does not refer to any written material. Mayor Tracy has been
Mayor of our District since 2004, so his customised and creative approach
to the opening prayer has been a part of our proceedings for a
considerable period of time.

 

To the best of my knowledge an opening prayer before Council meetings has
been a regular component of proceedings since the Council was established
in 1989.

 

Kind Regards,

 

 

Stephen Parry

Chief Executive

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