Does the Southland Regional Council open its meetings with a prayer?

Alex Harris made this Official Information request to Southland Regional Council

The request was successful.

From: Alex Harris

Dear Southland 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

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Rowan Crawford left an annotation ()

Sigh. Message labs. I'm working on getting them sorted.

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Sent request to Southland Regional Council again.

Southland Regional Council


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From: Gwynn Collins
Southland Regional Council

Hello - my office hours are 8am thru 1pm daily.
Thank you Gwynn - Receptionist
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From: Jan Brown
Southland Regional Council

Hello Alex

Your Official Information Act request, as outlined in the subject-line above, received on Thursday, 17 May 2012, refers.

I am able to advise that this Council does not open any of its meetings with a prayer. There have been no changes in practise in this regard - this has been the norm since the establishment of the Southland Regional Council .

You have the right to complain to the Ombudsman if you believe information has been refused.

Yours sincerely

Jan Brown
Executive & HR Co-ordinator | Environment Southland

P +64 3 2115 115 | M: +64 21 177 3808 | F: +64 3 211 5252 |
E: [email address] |
Web: www.es.govt.nz | www.facebook.com/environmentsouthland |
Corner Price Street and North Road, Private Bag 90116, Invercargill 9840 |

-----Original Message-----
From: Alex Harris [mailto:[OIA #207 email]]
Sent: Thursday, 17 May 2012 5:26 a.m.
To: Facility Manager
Subject: Official Information Act request - Does the Southland Regional Council open its meetings with a prayer?

Dear Southland 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

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