July 23, 2020
Referendum inevitable as New Plymouth reacts
New Plymouth District Council's move to set up Māori wards looks set to be challenged by referendum.
Murray Chong, one of only two councillors to vote against the decision, is organising a petition seeking the 5 percent of registered voters needed to trigger the binding poll.
Tamzyn Pue from Ngāti Maru, a member of the council's Te Huinga Taumata and breakfast host on Te Korimako o Taranaki, says the reaction was expected.
She says Mr Chong also rallied against a similar initiative six years ago led then-mayor Andrew Judd.
"This piece of legislation is racist because only a Māori ward needs 5 percent of the population to force this binding referendum. We knew that was going to happen regardless of whether we had gone out to seek public consultation because in New Plymouth there are so many racist people here," Ms Pue says.
She's working with Andrew Judd to rally support for the Māori seat proposal and to encourage Māori to participate in the referendum, which last time was lost by 85 percent.
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