Ma¯ori electorates are not a football for political gain

Ma¯ori issues are an easy political football during election campaigns.

This year, Mr Winston Peters decided to put the boot into the Ma¯ori electoral seats by demanding a binding referendum for New Zealand First’s support in potentially forming a government. This is an example of Trumpian deficit policy and is perhaps an attempt at retribution on Ma¯ori for the waka jumping MPs of New Zealand First.

In 1996 New Zealand First won the Ma¯ori seats and helped National form a government. The 1998 leadership coup that deposed Prime Minister Jim Bolger then split New Zealand First when their Ma¯ori MPs broke ranks and propped up the government.

Placed in that context, this policy decision by Mr Peters looks increasingly like revenge and will attract voters who hold negative stereotypes of Ma¯ori.

Regardless of opinion, the history of the Ma¯ori electorates demonstrates both positive and negative values. Although they were initially used to limit Ma¯ori participation, the seats then became the primary means through which Ma¯ori were involved until the introduction of MMP.

In 1852 the New Zealand Constitution Act barred Ma¯ori from voting and holding positions in the newly-minted government. The clever colonists of the time ensured they retained power in government by legislating votes for men who owned land, effectively shutting Ma¯ori and women out.

It wasn’t until the 1867 Ma¯ori Representation Act when the four Ma¯ori seats of northern, southern, eastern and western Maori were created that Ma¯ori entered parliament.

Although the general electoral seats increased with the population, the four Ma¯ori seats remained static for 129 years.

Outside of the Ma¯ori seats it was relatively rare that Ma¯ori were voted into general seats and Ma¯ori MPs had to work within the system to empower Ma¯ori.

Mete Paetahi, of Whanganui, was the first Member of Parliament for Western Ma¯ori when he was elected in 1868.

In 1911 Dr Maui Pomare was voted into office through the combined support of Tainui and Taranaki. Sir Maui Pomare and Sir Peter Buck (both from Taranaki) were perhaps two of the greatest Ma¯ori MPs to sit in parliament, and along with Sir Apirana Ngata and Sir Turi Carroll had immense influence on Ma¯ori development in the early twentieth century.

Pomare worked to ensure justice for the land confiscations of the previous century and perhaps one of his greatest achievements was in the Sims Royal Commission of 1927 that found the 1860s Land Wars were wrong and land confiscations were unjustified.

It would take 90 years before settlements were finalised.

Without the Maori electorates there are no guarantees that the parties would represent Ma¯ori.

The people who complain of Ma¯ori privilege and race-based policies tend to overlook how regulated Ma¯ori society still is. All of our marae fall under the Te Ture Whenua Ma¯ori Act and the Ma¯ori Land Court has final authority over the marae committees, not the iwi or hapu¯.

Ma¯ori kaitiakitanga (guardianship) of the land is severely restricted by the Resource Management Act and recent treaty settlements were negotiated by organisations developed under crown-dictated processes.

The political battle for equity and self determination has never really ended for Ma¯ori.

It’s almost like Ma¯ori are invited to participate in the game half an hour before kick-off and the referee is the coach from the other side who has given a 20 point advantage to his own team.

If a binding referendum of all enrolled voters were held tomorrow, I have no doubt the result would mirror the Ma¯ori ward referendum in the New Plymouth District. As far as I’m concerned the Maori Ward vote was a perfect illustration of the tyranny of the majority.

If the Ma¯ori electorates were removed it would take away a guaranteed voice for Ma¯ori in parliament and would reinstate colonial paternalism. There may come a time when those seats are no longer needed, but that time is not now and the issue should not be used for political gain.

Only voters enrolled on the Ma¯ori Electoral Roll should decide the future of the Ma¯ori seats.