Close vote on Ma¯ori wards looms in Manawatu¯

Manawatu¯ District’s youngest council member may be the deciding vote on whether the council adopts a Ma¯ori ward or not.

The council will vote on whether to establish the wards in its May 6meeting and, if it passes, it will establish at least one seat that only those on the Ma¯ori electoral roll can vote for.

In a workshop on Tuesday night, council members and local marae discussed revisiting the issue, after a 2017 vote in favour of a Ma¯ori ward was blocked by a citizens-initiated referendum.

Last month, a change to the Local Government Act removed the binding nature of the polls, allowing councils to revisit the option.

The council had voted 6-4 in favour of establishing a Ma¯ori ward in 2017.

Only two members from that time are no longer on council. Of those who remain, five – Alison Short, Phil Marsh, Hilary Humphrey, mayor Helen Worboys and Shane Casey – voted in favour of the ward.

Councillors Steve Bielski, Stuart Campbell and Andrew Quarrie were opposed.

The vote of first-time council member Heather Gee-taylor is uncertain. She said she was still to familiarise herself with the process involved.

She may be the deciding factor if councillors vote the way they did in 2017, with fellow first-time councillor Grant Hadfield likely to vote against ama¯ori ward.

He said his views on the issue were muddied by concern over the Government’s lack of consultation over the law change last month. The public were given two days to submit to the select committee in February, and the short time-limit was undemocratic. He would not confirm his vote but said the district had voted overwhelmingly against Ma¯ori wards, and for council to adopt one regardless would be manipulative.

Deputy mayor Michael Ford, who was recorded as being on leave at the time of the 2017 vote, told Stuff although he had previously been in favour of a Ma¯ori ward, the subsequent poll result had raised his doubts.

Councillor Alison Short, chairwoman of the council’s committee with marae, Nga¯ Manu Ta¯iko, said the council would be guided by iwi on the matter, or at least they should be. ‘‘I can’t speak [for] each councillor.’’

Based on the district’s Ma¯ori population – just under 5000 people according to Stats.nz – there would likely be only one Ma¯ori seat, she said.

Ma¯ori roll electors would also vote for a mayor, but would be ineligible to vote on any other councillor position.

Ma¯ori wards were introduced as an option for councils in 2002 as a means of increasing Ma¯ori representation. In 2001, only 5 per cent of local councillors were Ma¯ori.

Between 2002 and 2019, 16 councils decided to adopt a Ma¯ori ward, but 14 of those were quashed by public polls.

All local body authorities have until May 21 to adopt a Ma¯ori ward in time for next year’s local election.