Wayne Ryburn: Time to abolish this vestige of paternalism

Photo / Glenn Jeffrey

Opinion

Recent comment pieces have pushed for the inclusion of selective seats based on racial preference for the proposed Auckland Super City.

Some 25 years ago when the then Labour Government proposed changes to the Treaty of Waitangi Act, a friend suggested that the Westminster system in New Zealand would soon be dead. As time has progressed his succinct observation appears to be correct.

The Labour Government in its 2002 Local Government Act allowed for the establishment of ethnic-based seats at that level. As a nation we should have been more concerned at the time.

This issue is now with us thanks to the defunct royal commission's governance plan for the Auckland Super City and the proposal that representation be based on one's ethnicity.

There is continuing demand by some groups to include two or three generally elective Maori seats and, in addition, two mana whenua seats. There are already signs that Polynesian groups want similar ethnic representation.

The decision to exclude such race-based seats from the proposed Super City is the correct one as it is in keeping with New Zealand's democratic traditions. To allow for mana whenua seats at a local level will no doubt bring demands for them to be established at the national level of government.

This would mean the end of the nation state and a return to a feudalistic system.

The parliamentary system we inherited from Britain was developed through centuries of changes to feudalism. In New Zealand this system has seen progressive changes made, including the enfranchisement of women, the abolition of the appointed Upper House and the introduction of MMP.

The introduction of MMP should have seen the abolition of the Maori electorates as proposed by the royal commission but the National Government of the day lacked the courage.

Instead we have since witnessed the extension of these seats under Labour coalition governments.

It is about time this vestige of colonial paternalism was abolished, as having racially based electorates in an increasingly multicultural society is an anachronism.

The Local Body Act of 2002 unfortunately has allowed the opportunity for race-based seats in local government to take hold. The idea of having ethnic, and in particular mana whenua, seats in the proposed Auckland Super City is to acknowledge some form of local aristocracy that needs special representation. This is a return to feudalism and as such is nonsense for two reasons.

First, all New Zealanders are linked together economically and socially - we work and play sports together - and secondly, through increasing intermarriage there has been a process of miscegenation going on over the past 50 or so years.

The majority of Maori are of mixed race whether this is acknowledged or not.

The attitude behind such a policy declares that there are two classes of citizens in this country - Maori and the rest of us. This is an attack on the human rights of all of us and is divisive in the way it treats ethnic groups differently without any real basis to do so.

Imagine the outcry if the Government proposed to set up separate seats for the descendants of settler families, those original founding fathers of Auckland, who established the city on land purchased from local iwi in the 1840s and 1850s.

To establish separate ethnic-based seats on Auckland's proposed new Super City is clearly an example of regressive legislation.

Pita Sharples of the Maori Party often attacks the dictatorship of the majority. What we should all be concerned about is the real threat from the dictatorship of the minority.

While the majority must consider minority concerns the minority must allow majority view points to prevail in a democracy.

Remember Article Three of the Treaty gave Maori the same rights as British subjects, not more rights.

New Zealanders have also fought in two world wars to safeguard the way of life and our system of democracy that is the birthright of all who live in this country regardless of race.

National's lack of decisiveness on whether or not to have ethnic seats is of concern and unfortunately we have a Prime Minister who appears to be vacillating on this issue. We need to demand a referendum on whether to continue with the present race-based seats in Parliament and local bodies.

It is important that we retain a system of meritocracy in our Parliament and local bodies whereby we vote for the candidate who represents the best interests of the people, regardless of gender, ethnicity or religion.

This issue is of constitutional importance to all New Zealanders. It is imperative that all voters in this country be given the chance to vote on this important constitutional issue.

We must all have the right to vote on the question of the continuance or abolition of ethnic-based seats.

The decision will impact on future generations. It is important that we demand our say and not leave it to the politicians to decide for us.

* Wayne Ryburn lives at Taupaki in West Auckland.