Unelected Maori board 'outrageous and unfair'

Matt McCarten. Photo / Martin Sykes

It is outrageous that fewer than two dozen people can select members for the Super City's Maori Statutory Board, political commentator Matt McCarten says.

But an iwi spokesman leading the process said Maori were making the best of a bad situation.

Most Maori voters will not have a say in who sits at the board. Instead, from today an iwi selection group made up of 19 tribally-drawn members will go through nominations for seven "mana whenua" or iwi representatives and two others known as "mataawaka"members.

Mana whenua representatives will be split between Ngati Manuhiri, Marutuahu, Waiohua and Ngati Whatua.

Mr McCarten said holding no election for representatives to the statutory board was an outrage.

"They should be elected just like everybody else. It's essentially appointed, it has no mandate and therefore it's compromised. I think that the council will know and everyone will know that it doesn't stand on its own mana and it's just there to make the council look good."

The split of membership was also problematic because it was heavily weighted to iwi interests and didn't seem to give urban Maori a fair go.

"It does seem a bit unbalanced and so therefore that also smacks of patronage."

Iwi selection chairman Tame Te Rangi said Maori had wanted special seats and had strenuously opposed the statutory board. However, tribes now had to deal with the reality of how the Auckland Council would work.

Asked about the fairness of the selection process, Mr Te Rangi said tribes weren't responsible for the legislation.

"We've basically been dealt a raw hand and we're trying to work through the process."

Mataawaka nominations are open until October 13 but mana whenua nominations have already been lodged.

In a statement issued by his office, Maori Affairs Minister Pita Sharples said membership of the statutory board was determined by mana whenua representatives, rather than by election, because the board was intended to ensure the Auckland Council fulfilled its Treaty of Waitangi obligations in local government and resource management legislation.

The statutory board was not part of the council structure, but was established independently under its own statute to represent the Treaty partner, he said.

Therefore, the purpose, functions and powers of the board were quite different to those of community boards.

The appointments will be made by October 29 to enable the board to come into effect with the council on November 1.