Māori wards: Councils voice opposition at select committee

NZ First leader Winston Peters with Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Act leader David Seymour. Photo: RNZ / Samuel Rillstone

A raft of councils have spoken against the Māori wards bill at a Parliamentary select committee, calling it discriminatory, expensive and an overstep of central Government’s powers.

The coalition Government’s Māori wards bill would revert the law back to the old rules for establishing Māori wards and require a binding referendum on wards that were established since 2020 without a referendum.

On Tuesday, several councils told the committee they did not want the Bill to go ahead, expressing concerns over the requirement of polls for Māori wards but not general wards and unease about central Government being able to affect the representational makeup of their boards.

Auckland Council opposed the bill with councillors Kerrin Leoni and Alf Filipaina telling the committee it would cost around $3.5 million to hold a stand-alone referendum or around $155,000 if it was run in conjunction with the 2025 local body elections.

Wellington mayor Tory Whanau also opposed the bill saying she was “concerned and appalled” with the coalition Government’s proposed move which would create inequity between the wards.

“That’s simply not fair,” she told the committee.

Whanau said the cost of running a poll on Māori wards during the 2025 local body elections would be around $160,000.

“Please abandon this bill, it is the right thing to do.”

Wellington mayor Tory Whanau expressed her opposition to the Māori wards bill at a select committee on Tuesday. Photo / Mark Mitchell

In 2002, a Labour-led government changed the law to allow councils to set up Māori wards but the law also allowed a minority of voters - 5 per cent - to force a referendum and ultimately veto a council’s decision.

That public veto was abolished in a 2021 law change led by Labour’s Nanaia Mahuta, with fierce opposition from National.

The coalition Government’s proposed law change would bring back the 5 per cent threshold for petitioning the council and require those councils who have established Māori wards since 2020 without a referendum to hold a referendum at the next local body elections.

Mahuta, who retired from Parliament at the last election, told the select committee today the bill was a “masterclass in how to offend everyone and influence no one.

“There is no need for this particular bill.”

Mahuta said the premises for removing the 5 per cent threshold in 2021 was because it was discriminatory.

Meanwhile, the coalition Government says the bill puts the process of establishing or abolishing Māori wards back in the hands of communities. The Māori wards bill was part of National’s coalition agreements with both Act and NZ First.

“The Coalition Government’s view is that any decision to establish or disestablish a Māori ward is one that should remain with communities,” Local government minister Simeon Brown said.

“Local community members deserve to have a say in their governance arrangements.”

Minister of Local Government Simeon Brown. Photo / Michael Craig

Roly Fitzgerald, councillor for Palmerston North City Council’s Te Pūao Māori ward, said the bill gave “power of veto to the majority over the rights of a minority” and was “fundamentally unfair.

“It’s clear that councils do not want or need this change to occur,” Fitzgerald said.

Palmerston North City Council deputy mayor Debi Marshall-Lobb warned that the referendums would be expensive and that could see councils disestablish Māori wards even if they supported them.

“This bill is discriminatory; no other ward is subject to this.”

Former National Party MP Jo Hayes said the bill set “race against race”, imploring the committee to “stop the bill”.

“It is a real big overreach. Local government can’t afford a referendum, they can’t even afford the polling,” Hayes said.

“I’m actually astounded by the whole thing and very disappointed.”

Hilda Halkyard-Harawira, Ngā Tai o Tokerau Māori Ward councillor for the Far North District Council, said the “u-turn on Māori wards by the Government is very mean-spirited.

“Māori wards are a mini version of Māori seats in Parliament. Is your next step after Māori wards to remove Māori seats in Parliament?”

Meanwhile, Whakatāne District councillor Toni Boynton, who was also Labour’s candidate for Waiariki, said a similar referendum in 2013 resulted in “division and racism” in her area.

Requiring councils to hold another referendum next year would be “placing a target” on those who stood in Māori ward seats.

“We faced daily racist attacks and comments,” Boynton said.

“When it comes to 2025 election, and if you chose to have a binding poll as well at that election, you are placing a target on myself as a candidate who may stand and others in our community who may stand for the Māori ward seat.”