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New Plymouth’s mayor hopes the tide has turned on getting a Maori ward on the council.
The council’s strategy committee has recommended people on the Maori electoral roll should be allowed to vote for one seat on the 15-member council.
It will be voted on by the full council on September 23.
Andrew Judd says the committee was swayed by a deputation from Taranaki Youth who spoke in favour of the seat.
That’s in contrast to Grey Power, which is threatening to mount a petition to force the matter to a referendum.
"For me they’re old thinking and they have got to come to terms that we're moving forward and that's why the deputation from the youth was so valuable, because it spoke about tomorrow's generation and that's who we’re focusing on," Mr Judd says.
He says Taranaki councils have made mistakes in the past because of a lack of Maori representation, such as putting roads over sacred sites.
FOR THE FULL INTERVIEW WITH ANDREW JUDD CLICK ON THE LINK
https://secure.zeald.com/uma/play_podcast?podlink=MjIwMTQ=
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