June 10, 2024
Māori singled out in local government bill
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Councils around the country have condemned the Government’s roll-back of Māori wards.
Local Government Minister Simeon Brown’s bill restores the provision allowing for a binding referendum if councils decide to create Māori wards or constituencies, and it requires councils to hold referenda on any wards created after the provision was lifted in 2021 by then-minister Nanaia Mahuta.
Councils told the select committee hearing submissions that would cost them each more than $150,000 at next year’s election.
Wellington mayor Tory Whanau said it was discriminatory, as polls are not required if councils adopt other representative structures such as rural wards, community boards or electing councillors at large.
“No one has ever raised that the process for establishing these other wards is unfair or undemocratic and it is only Maori wards that have been singled out by this bill for a different process that will be costly and more difficult. This creates clear inequity between Maori wards and other wards and that’s just simply not fair,” Mayor Whanau says.