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November 26, 2014
Peters rejects "white man’s burden" on councils
Waatea Team
Posted On November 26, 2014
New Zealand First leader Winston Peters says New Plymouth mayor Andrew Judd is away with the fairies with his call for a 50-50 split between Maori and general representatives on councils.
Mr Judd is hoping voters won't force a referendum against his plan to create a Maori ward for the next local government election, and he has upped the ante by arguing that a reasonable interpretation of the Treaty of Waitangi is fifty-fifty representation around the table at every council.
Mr Peters says his own caucus has included MPs from a wide range of ethnic backgrounds – including Maori who have been mayors and councillors – but ethnicity is never a factor in their selection.
"We've had people with Maori representation at local level. We don't need special people, with the greatest respect to the latter day white man's burden from New Plymouth, thank you very much but this is not the way for the country to go," he says..
Mr Peters says the model created by ACT's Rodney Hide and National of unelected members from the Independent Maori Statutory Board sitting on the Auckland Council set a bad precedent that now seems to be spreading.
FOR THE FULL INTERVIEW WITH WINSTON PETERS CLICK ON THE LINK
https://secure.zeald.com/uma/play_podcast?podlink=MjQ0MTk=
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