Does the West Coast Regional Council open its meetings with a prayer?
Alex Harris made this Official Information request to West Coast Regional Council
The request was partially successful.
From: Alex Harris
Dear West Coast Regional 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
From: Trish Jellyman
West Coast Regional Council
Good Morng Alex
Yes the West Coast Regional Council does open its meetings with a prayer. Our prayer is:
Almighty and ever-living God in whose hands are the rights and hopes of all people, look graciously on us who govern.
Guide us so that our counsels may be wise and our decisions just.
Amen
Regards
Trish Jellyman
Executive Assistant
West Coast Regional Council
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