M¯aori seats to be retained

The two Ma¯ ori seats on Waikato Regional Council will be retained following a vote by councillors.

The regional council covers eight regions between Huntly and Turangi, including two Ma¯ ori regions.

A majority of seven to three councillors voted to re-confirm the status quo.

This meant retaining the two Ma¯ori regions and seats on regional council.

Councillors voting for the Ma¯ ori seats to stay were chair Alan Livingston, Jenni Hayman, Stu Kneebone, Fred Lichtwark, Dal Minogue, Barry Quayle and Bob Simcock.

Voting against the Ma¯ori seats were councillors Jane Hennebry, Stu Husband and Russ Rimmington.

Tipa Mahuta and Kataraina Hodge - the two Ma¯ ori councillors elected to represent the Nga Hau e Wha and Nga Tai ki Uta regions - were absent from the meeting.

Taupo¯ -Rotorua regional councillor Kathy White was absent from the meeting and councillor Hugh Vercoe abstained from the vote.

Voting against the seats, Cr Hennebry said she personally did not like the council having ‘‘race-based seats’’.

Cr Husband said Ma¯ori no longer needed ‘‘tokenism’’, given that the current Parliament had many Ma¯ori MPS elected on the general roll.

Cr Livingstone, the councillor for Waipa¯ -King Country, disagreed. He said councillors Mahuta and Hodge represented the Ma¯ ori constituents well and had made valuable contributions to the Waikato Regional Council.