May 10, 2021
Manawatu iwi give council taste of backlash
Manawatū Māori will march on the offices of the Manawatū District Council this morning to demand councillors to reconsider last week’s decision to defer consideration of Māori wards until 2023.
A hui in Feilding on Sunday decided to withhold cultural support from the council until further notice.
Manawatū mayor Helen Worboys and deputy Michael Ford yesterday defended the decision, saying they personally support Māori wards but also respect the democratic decision of the community, as reflected in a 2018 referendum which overturned the council’s previous attempt to create a ward.
Iwi spokesperson Meihana Durie says last week’s vote marginalises the Māori voice for at least another three years.
"The whole view council is not quite ready, the community is not quite ready is really a smokescreen for the fact they are worried about the backlash from the constituents of the Manawatū region but not so worried about the backlash from Māori, and that is concerning to us," he says.
Professor Durie says today’s Te Kōtui Reo hikoi will present letters from every marae in the Manawatū region calling on councillors to rethink their decision.
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