JOHN CARTER (National—Northland) Link to this
I move, That this House recognise that 15 September 2008 is the International Day of Democracy; note that New Zealand is an active member of the Inter-Parliamentary Union, which promotes democracy by strengthening Parliaments and enabling parliamentary diplomacy; celebrate that Parliament is the central institution of democracy; affirm its commitment to the principle that a democratic Parliament is representative, transparent, accessible, accountable, and effective; and note the theme of the day, that a Parliament does not guarantee democracy but there can be no democracy without a Parliament.