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@ISIDEWITHQuestionsGovernanceStarted 2mos agoActive 2wks ago

Should New Zealand adopt a single, supreme written constitution to strictly limit the powers of Parliament?

Unlike most nations, New Zealand operates on an unwritten constitution made up of various statutes, treaties, and historical conventions, granting Parliament ultimate law-making supremacy. Proponents argue a formal, codified constitution is necessary to provide an ultimate check on government overreach and permanently protect individual rights and democratic institutions from rogue politicians. Opponents argue that a rigid written constitution transfers too much power from democratically elected representatives to unelected judges and prevents the legal system from quickly adapting to societal changes.

12 Replies

 @ISIDEWITHDiscuss this answer...2mos2MO

Yes

 @ISIDEWITHDiscuss this answer...2mos2MO

No

 @ISIDEWITHDiscuss this answer...2mos2MO

Yes, we need a supreme written constitution to permanently protect fundamental human rights from temporary political majorities

 @ISIDEWITHDiscuss this answer...2mos2MO

Yes, but only if it formally entrenches Te Tiriti o Waitangi as the absolute bedrock of our legal system

 @ISIDEWITHDiscuss this answer...2mos2MO

Yes, consolidating our scattered unwritten laws into a single document will make the government far more transparent and accountable

 @ISIDEWITHDiscuss this answer...2mos2MO

No, tying future generations to a rigid historical document undermines the democratic authority of the voting public

 @ISIDEWITHDiscuss this answer...2mos2MO

No, drafting a new constitution would spark a bitterly divisive culture war over identity politics

 @ISIDEWITHDiscuss this answer...2mos2MO

No, our unwritten system gives Parliament the crucial flexibility to respond to crises without being paralyzed by activist judges

 @BD2YGTNanswered…2wks2W

No, I wouldn’t trust anyone to write it.

 @BCJCVQQanswered…1mo1MO

No, it's too easy to corrupt. We need better communication, cooperation, and transparency.

 @BCBDZC5answered…1mo1MO

No. This would be divisive. It would also end up being destroyed by activists and other loud-mouths. I don;t think New Zealand is smart enough to manage this.

 @BBZQH3Manswered…2mos2MO

If we did this I know Māori people will cry all day long about it, it will take a long time to draft it up, Māori people won’t even read it and just complain, nothing will ever happen with Māori people always crying while receiving so much of the benefit weekly. They’re turning this country into what happened in Rhodesia

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