"Māori elected to designated Māori seats will sign the same oath as other councillors; at the decision table they will represent and make decisions for the good of all Northlanders, not just tangata whenua.
"Similarly, all councillors are elected by constituents to make democratic decisions using robust, well-considered information. This means that as elected representatives we must all come to the decision table with no pre-determination, willing to listen, contribute to good debate and then support the outcome of the vote."
From time to time individual councillors would find themselves at odds with a position or collective decisions, but that was simply the democratic process at work. Once decisions had been made, councillors had a duty to support them as part of their collective responsibility.
"Councillors have a duty to seek all the facts, listen to all the debate, and then collectively make the decision they feel is best for the region as a whole," she said.
Five per cent of electors (just over 6000 people) had the right to demand a poll on the council's intention to create Māori constituencies, but while a poll was currently being sought by some in the community, there is an important difference between community consultation and a referendum.
"The two are not the same thing. Polls are a simple 'yes' or 'no' vote, with no consultation, and in the case of Māori representation a poll is binding, which means that council has to abide by the result for the next two electoral cycles (six years)," she said.
A poll would cost ratepayers about $240,000; adding the roughly $80,000 it would cost for a byelection to replace former councillor John Bain, who resigned in protest over the Māori representation issue, would equate to a one per cent rate increase.
As for meeting the salaries of those elected to represent Māori constituencies, councillors' remuneration came from a fixed pool of money independently decided upon by the government's Remuneration Authority.
"Regardless of the number of councillors, the total pool amount does not change, meaning that there would be no extra remuneration expense to ratepayers if Māori constituency seats are established," she said. (The council currently had nine elected members, and if the number rose as a result of Māori seats, all would be paid less.)
Smart added that, regardless of which electoral roll they were on, electors would only able to cast one vote.
"If Māori are enrolled and vote on the Māori roll, they cannot also enrol and vote via the general roll. One person equals one vote," she said.
Setting up Māori constituencies would also require a review of the council's overall representation arrangements, including the number of councillors, existing constituency names and boundaries.
If opponents were unable to secure the signatures required to force a poll, the council would develop an Initial Representation Proposal, setting out the proposed new constituencies, names and boundaries, by August 31, 2021, followed by a period of formal consultation, including the opportunity for public submissions.
There would be a further objections/appeals period before a final determination would be made by the Local Government Commission by early April 2022. That determination would apply to both the 2022 and 2025 elections.
