Guaranteed Indigenous Seats on NZ Councils to Be Slashed by More Than Half

The number of guaranteed positions for Māori representatives on NZ local authorities will be slashed by more than half, after a divisive legislative amendment that forced local governments to submit the fate of hard-earned Māori seats to a public vote.

Background Information on Indigenous Representation

Māori wards, which may have one or more councillors depending on demographic data, were created in 2001 to give Indigenous voters the choice to elect a assured Māori representative in municipal and provincial governments. Initially, councils were only able to create a Māori ward by initially putting it to a community referendum in their region. Local populations often spent years generating community backing and pushing their local governments to establish Māori wards.

Legislative Shifts and Administrative Decisions

To address this concern, the previous Labour government permitted municipal authorities to establish a Māori ward without first requiring them to put it to a public vote.

However, this year, the right-wing coalition government reversed the change, saying local residents ought to determine whether to establish Māori wards.

Referendum Results

The coalition’s law change required local authorities that had established a ward under the previous policy to conduct decisive public votes concurrently with the local body elections, which ended on October 11. Of 42 councils taking part in the referendum, 17 voted to retain their wards, and twenty-five to disestablish theirs – revealing numerous areas opposed to guaranteed Māori representation.

The results represented “a crucial move in reinstating community self-determination.”

Opposition parties nevertheless have condemned the new policy as “discriminatory” and “anti-Māori”. After assuming power, the coalition government has ushered in sweeping rollbacks to policies intended to enhance Indigenous welfare and political inclusion. The government has stated it aims to end “race-based” policies, and says it is committed to improving outcomes for Indigenous people and all New Zealanders.

Geographical Splits

Outcomes of the public votes were split down city-country divisions – six of the seven cities mandated to hold referendums supported Indigenous seats, while countryside areas leaned strongly towards disestablishing them.

“It's unfortunate for the Māori wards that had recently been established – they’re only just starting to hit their stride.”

Electoral Participation and Criticism

This year’s local government elections recorded the smallest electoral participation in 36 years, with less than a third of eligible voters participating, prompting calls for an overhaul.

This approach had been “a mockery”.

Differential Standards

Councils are permitted to establish different electoral districts – such as countryside seats – without first requiring a public vote. The disparate requirements placed on Māori wards suggested the government was targeting Indigenous inclusion.

“Well, they failed. Numerous localities have expressed strong opposition.”

This statement referred to the 17 regions that chose to keep their wards.