🔗 Share this article

The number of guaranteed seats for Indigenous council members on New Zealand local authorities will be slashed by more than half, after a divisive law change that forced municipal councils to put the future of hard-won Māori seats to a public vote.

Historical Context on Māori Wards

Indigenous electoral districts, which may have multiple councillors based on demographic data, were established in 2001 to provide Māori electors the option to vote for a assured Māori representative in local and regional authorities. Originally, local governments were only able to create a Māori ward by first putting it to a community referendum in their region. Communities often spent years building local support and urging their local governments to create Indigenous representation.

Policy Changes and Government Actions

To remedy the issue, the former administration permitted municipal authorities to establish a Māori ward without initially mandating them to subject it to a popular ballot.

However, this year, the current administration overturned the policy, saying local residents should decide whether to introduce Māori wards.

Referendum Results

The new legislation mandated councils that had established a electoral district under Labour’s rules to hold binding referendums concurrently with the local body elections, which ended on October 11. Of 42 councils taking part in the public vote, 17 decided to keep their wards, and twenty-five to disestablish theirs – showing numerous areas against guaranteed Māori representation.

The results represented “a vital step in restoring community self-determination.”

Opposition parties nevertheless have criticised the new policy as “discriminatory” and “anti-Māori”. After assuming power, the coalition government has implemented sweeping rollbacks to measures intended to improve Indigenous welfare and political inclusion. Officials has said it wants to terminate “race-based” policies, and asserts it is committed to improving outcomes for Indigenous people and all New Zealanders.

Geographical Splits

Outcomes of the public votes were divided down city-country divisions – six of the seven cities required to vote supported Indigenous seats, while rural regions skewed heavily towards removing them.

“It's unfortunate for the Indigenous seats that had recently been established – they’re just beginning to find their footing.”

Voter Turnout and Criticism

The recent local government elections registered the smallest electoral participation in over three decades, with less than a third of citizens casting a vote, prompting demands for reform.

This approach had been “a mockery”.

Differential Standards

Councils are able to create different electoral districts – including countryside seats – without initially mandating a community ballot. The different conditions placed on Indigenous representation suggested the administration was targeting Indigenous inclusion.

“Ultimately, they were unsuccessful. Numerous localities have expressed strong opposition.”

This statement concerned the 17 regions that chose to keep their seats.