Some time ago I asked, via the Sun newspaper, MPs Simon Bridges and Tony Ryall whether any proposed constitutional change would need to be validated by referendum. (The latter of course did not respond.) To his credit the former did. However, his reply that constitutional change could be endorsed by referendum or by cross-party agreement caused much concern among readers, because these two positions are as chalk and cheese: one (referendum) meaning that the Constitution belongs to the people, the other (cross-party agreement) meaning that the Constitution belongs to 120 people. I would urge anyone who is more passionate about democracy than our local MPs to go on to the following websites in order, at the very least, to affirm one of the cornerstones of our democracy, namely that constitutional change can only be validated by binding referendum: www.ConstitutionalReview.org and www.ourconstitution.org.nz

R.Rimmer Tauranga.