It looks like Chris won't budge on 5 year validity, but the important point to remember is Chris won't always be the Minister of Internal Affairs. As we pointed out in our letter to him last week We Believe that ten year passport validity must be explored via public consultation, just like the Canadian Government, who consulted extensively with their public on passport validity. In July this year Canada will be increasing their passport validity, from five years to a ten-year biometric passport. The New Zealand Government should do the honourable thing and consult the public on this matter.
Email exchange follows:
From: Tony Maxwell
To: [email protected]
Subject: New Zealand Passport Validity