Whangārei’s local election voting system debate heats up

Whangārei District Councillor Marie Olsen is speaking out against a recent council decision over how electors choose their local government politicians, backing a newly launched petition. Photo / Tania Whyte

A Whangārei District councillor is backing a petition challenging the council’s first change in more than two decades to the way its politicians are elected.

Whangārei District Council (WDC) politicians in August voted to switch from First Past the Post (FPP) to Single Transferrable Vote (STV) for the council’s local government elections in 2025 and 2028.

Cr Marie Olsen challenged this, forcing an extraordinary council meeting in September in a push to overturn the switch. She wanted to revoke the August decision and return to FPP for the 2025 elections with a binding community poll on the voting system at the same time, plus FPP voting in 2028 as well. Her efforts were lost in a 53 per cent majority vote.

A poll would cost Whangārei ratepayers $180,000 plus GST.

Community lobby group Democracy Northland said the way the council had made its representation decision was not okay.

The group has started a petition calling for the community to have its say on the council’s voting system, via a binding poll.

WDC has used FPP since the choice was first made available to local authorities in 2001.

Cr Olsen, who was first elected in October 2022, said her extraordinary meeting push was not in favour of a particular voting system. It was about the community having an opportunity to share its views.

She did not mind which system Whangārei voters were in favour of.

“I’m there to represent the ratepayers. This petition is a good thing to be happening,” Cr Olsen said.

Under STV, voters rank candidates in their order of preference. Under the FPP, the candidate with the most votes wins.

Democracy Northland chairman John Bain said choosing an electoral system was an important decision that needed community input.

“Councillors need to be reminded that in a democracy, the voting system belongs to the electors, not the elected,” Bain said.

WDC’s voting review happens under a requirement that councils consider their electoral system at least once every six years.

Councillors are divided on what electoral system to use.

Democracy Northland chairman John Bain outside Whangārei District Council's head office Te Iwitahi. Photo / Susan Botting

At the August 24 meeting, deputy mayor Phil Halse, backed by Cr Simon Reid, introduced a motion for WDC to retain its use of FPP for the 2025 and 2028 elections.

However, a counter-push saw Crs Carol Peters and Patrick Holmes in opposition tabling an amendment in favour of the council switching to STV for these elections instead.

Crs Peters and Holmes won their counter-push in a 61 per cent (8:5) majority vote, supported by Crs Nicholas Connop, Ken Couper, Deborah Harding, Scott McKenzie, Phoenix Ruka and Paul Yovich. Cr Gavin Benney abstained throughout.

They outvoted mayor Vince Cocurullo, deputy mayor Halse and Crs Golightly, Olsen and Reid.

WDC’s STV decision survived Cr Olsen’s extraordinary meeting challenge but only just, in the single person 7:6 majority vote.

The same August group of pro-STV councillors group opposed Cr Olsen’s September FPP push - minus Cr Yovich who changed camp in between.

Olsen said she did not initiate the petition, set up after the meetings.

But she supported its push for voters to have their say.

The Democracy Northland petition needs 5 per cent, or 3344, of Whangārei’s eligible electors to sign its call for a binding poll on the matter, before December 11.

Bain said the public had a legal right to demand the poll on whether WDC should change to STV for the next two local government elections.

It was not about which representation system the council used, but that the public had not been involved in the decision, Bain said.

Democracy Northland did not campaign against Kaipara District Council (KDC)’s change to FPP from STV earlier this year.

Eighty per cent of New Zealand councils used FPP in the previous local elections. In 2022, 63 of 78 councils used FPP, 15 STV.

■ Local Democracy Reporting is Public Interest Journalism funded through NZ On Air