Question ‘inflames’ division
New Plymouth’s only Māori councillor has come out swinging over a question put to council candidates about Māori wards, saying it was like putting petrol on a fire.
As part of a drive to get more people to vote, New Plymouth District Council (NPDC) officers sent those standing in September’s election a series of questions for its ‘‘know your candidate’’ webpage.
One of them was: ‘‘Do you support a Māori ward?’’
The question has seen the council accused of race baiting after Māori wards were introduced in all Taranaki councils for the first time this election, following years of campaigning.
Councillor and mayoral candidate Dinnie Moeahu said the question was irrelevant as the ward had been established. He said he asked Jacqueline Baker, the council’s acting chief executive, who was its communications manager, why the question was included.
‘‘I said, ‘ You don’t understand the pressure and the pain that is happening in the community. That’s what we are navigating through and you, in my view, have just put petrol on the fire. While we’re trying to bring the community together something like this, that you think is about engagement, is actually triggering further division.
‘‘There was no te au Māori lens put over the questions.’’
Moeahu questioned the council’s intended outcome.
‘‘Because if the outcome is to be positive, to inspire the community and have really robust discussion, you’ve failed,’’ he said. ‘‘If it’s to cause division and use anger as the way to get people to vote, you’re going about it the right way.’’ Moeahu said the question had stirred people up again.
‘‘I warned them there was the potential for this to come up. You’ve now made it unsafe for these who are standing.’’
A council spokesman said they decided to go ahead with the question even after Moeahu voiced his concerns because under the Local Government Act, ‘‘ management have a role to play in getting people to vote and more than half of the district’s eligible voters didn’t last time because they didn’t know what the candidates stood for’’.
The council has an election steering group, including a representative providing a Māori perspective, the spokesperson said.
But it was unclear whether management had talked to anyone about that specific question, with the spokesperson saying: ‘‘ We also had focus group testing and sought high level advice from Te Huinga Taumatua to encourage Māori candidates and voter turnout.’’
Since going live on Monday the website has had more than 23,000 page views.
The other seven mayoral candidates had mixed views. Councillor Murray Chong said he agreed with the question being asked.
‘‘It should have been asked during the 2019 elections as this issue was coming up for debate in 2020. ‘‘This question finally allows our voters to fully compare their candidates and vote accordingly when it comes to this important issue that should have always been openly asked and answered.’’ Mayor Neil Holdom said questions going into an election should be focused on the future.
‘‘And that question was more about the past. It’s in the rearview mirror. I’ve indicated I would have liked our community to have a say on [a Māori ward], but ultimately council made the right decision and I fully support having a Māori ward.’’
Councillor Sam Bennett, who supported a Māori ward, said the question was appropriate. ‘‘It’s helpful to know where candidates stand on mana whenua going forward.’’
While he respected Moeahu’s view, he noted that Māori ward advocate Puna WanoBryant looked at it differently.
She has said that knowing candidates’ views on the wards would inform her vote Shaun Clare, who supports the wards, also did not have a problem with the question, saying it was good to see where the candidates stood.
Greg Mackay said the ward was already in place, so he did not see the need for the question.
His stance on the issue is neutral.
Neither Peter Hardgrave nor Muzz Mcdowell answered the question on the council’s website.
Hardgrave said ‘‘Why are we asking the question? I believe in equality. Equality is a very important word.’’
Mcdowell simply said: ‘‘It is already law.’’