Dunne pushes on with case for reform

United Future leader Peter Dunne is vowing to continue to lead the charge for constitutional reform after a tepid Government response to proposals to move the discussion forward.

Mr Dunne chaired the constitutional arrangements select committee established by Parliament to inquire into the existing situation and to identify appropriate processes to follow if significant reforms were considered.

The inquiry was held after increased debate on the subject sparked by National leader Don Brash's race relations Orewa speech two years ago.

Last August the committee - snubbed by National and New Zealand First MPs - released a report with three non-controversial recommendations to the Government.

It called for the creation of "generic principles" which would underpin discussions in the absence of a prescribed process.

The principles would include steps such as fostering wider understanding of constitutional issues and the establishment of specific processes to facilitate discussion with Maori communities.

The committee also called for improved civics and citizenship education in schools and asked the Government to consider whether a new, independent institution might foster more informed debate on the issue.

The Government's response, tabled this week, says only that it will give "further consideration" to the idea of establishing generic principles.

It agreed there should be greater civics education in schools, but said this was already in train.

A New Zealand Curriculum Project to be implemented next year would make citizenship education more explicit in the new curriculum.

Lastly, the Government believed it "unlikely" that an independent institute would be the best way to increase public understanding of the issues.

Mr Dunne said that he was disappointed not all recommendations would be met, but that was probably what he had expected.

There had so far been only mild interest in reform, but it was growing.

"I think that the appetite for now embarking on a wider debate is there.

"It's certainly something that I'll be continuing to pursue.

"I think that this was always ... going to be the first step in the process."

People sometimes reacted negatively to calls for a debate because they assumed it meant the move to a republic.

He said: "I've made no secret of the fact that it's my ultimate agenda but I've also been quite clear that I think it's probably 10 to 15 years away at the least."

The place of the Treaty of Waitangi was another key issue.