Date: Wed, 11 Apr 2012 14:14:13 +1200 Subject: Local Government Official Information and Meetings request: Does the Gisborne District Council open its meetings with a prayer? From: Alex Harris <[FYI request #137 email]> To: LGOIMA requests at Gisborne District Council <[email address]> Dear Gisborne 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 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Disclaimer: This message and any reply that you make will be published on the internet. Our privacy and copyright policies: http://fyi.org.nz/help/about#officers Please use this email address for all replies to this request: [FYI request #137 email] Is [email address] the wrong address for Local Government Official Information and Meetings requests to Gisborne District Council? If so please contact us using this form: http://fyi.org.nz/help/contact If you find FYI useful as an OIA officer, please ask your web manager to suggest us on your organisation's OIA page. -------------------------------------------------------------------