Labour backs 10-year passports
Labour releases its internal affairs policy, pledging to reintroduce 10-year passports and to review a new flag design. Michael Fox reports.
Labour says it will reintroduce 10-year passports and review gambling laws if elected this month.
The party has also committed to a review of the New Zealand flag, saying it is time for a change.
MP Trevor Mallard released the party’s internal affairs policy yesterday.
He pointed to a recent petition signed by 15,000 people calling for a return to 10-year passports after the move to fiveyear passports in 2005.
The petition and a recommendation from Parliament’s government and administration committee have sparked a review, with a view to returning to 10-year passports.
While the committee refused to make a decision on 10-year passports, instead recommending the review, Mallard said Labour would make it happen.
‘‘While National is not prepared to make any firm commitments to that, Labour is,’’ he said.
‘‘Restoring the 10-year life for passports will bring New Zealand into line with the US, Australia, Canada and the European Union.’’
The change was made in 2005 primarily for security reasons, but Labour said there was now a lower risk of passport fraud because of facial-recognition technology.
There would be no additional cost, though passports would remain at five years for those aged 15 and under because of their changing features.
Labour would review the design of the New Zealand flag, with the party saying ‘‘the time has come for a change and it is right for the issue to be put to the public’’.
‘‘We would, however, support the ability of the RSA and similar organisations to continue to fly the current flag if they so wish,’’ the policy statement said.
‘‘New Zealand changed its national an-
The Labour Party says it is time to put the issue of a new flag for New Zealand to the public.
‘‘We would, however, support the ability of the RSA and similar organisations to continue to fly the current flag if they so wish. New Zealand changed its national anthem from
on a gradual, optional basis and that process worked.’’
them from God Save the Queen on a gradual, optional basis and that process worked.’’
Mallard said Labour would conduct a review of gambling laws and policy to give communities more influence over gambling outlets and to improve harmprevention measures.
This could give councils the power to phase gaming machines out of their community if they were causing ‘‘considerable harm’’.
Labour would also seek to force venues to monitor gamblers.
The review would also look at ways to restrict New Zealand residents accessing online gambling sites and at alternative forms of funding for community groups that refused to take pokie funding.
The policy would re-establish Archives New Zealand and the National Library as separate entities outside the Department of Internal Affairs, with Mallard saying they were important institutions that had been compromised by the merger.