Maori wards decision not one for the public

The Treaty of Waitangi is New Zealand's founding document. It outlines in simple terms how a partnership between the Tangata Whenua and European settlers should function.

It is essentially based on a vision of a partnership between people of two contrasting cultures, with their different customs, value systems and languages.

It is a brave and ambitious document, when interpreted in an unbiased way.

But very soon it turned out to become anything but fair to Ma¯ori

people, who found themselves forever in a minority position, with very little regard [given] to their cultural and political values.

History has shown that the colonial rules applied had similar grave consequences for the wellbeing of the indigenous people here as everywhere else in the British Empire.

It gives hope that in our time much has been done to address injustices of the past.

But much more understanding and change will be required to enable our children and grandchildren to embrace the true spirit of the Treaty, which is partnership.

The argument the public should make the decision about the introduction of Maori wards, is flawed.

Regardless of the outcome of such a poll, which would most likely not serve the interests of a Ma¯ori minority, it is the basic idea of democracy to safeguard the rights and interests of minorities and guarantee their voices are heard.

Ma¯ori wards will help to improve local representation on our councils and enrich much needed cultural debate.

This should be welcomed by all of us in our multicultural environment.

I can only hope members of the Whanga¯rei District Council will stand in support of the establishment of Ma¯ori wards at their upcoming council meeting.

Thomas Lauterbach Onerahi

Think, councillors

The five WDC councillors challenging Council’s November resolution to introduce separate Maori wards (Advocate, March 18) are to be congratulated.

In light of the Democracy Northland petition, those councillors who still believe that Ma¯ori

wards are appropriate need to seriously consider whether they are representing the majority of their constituents as they are required to when they are sworn in. The recent NRC byelection has shown that Ma¯ ori

are quite capable of standing on their own credentials on the general role when Darleen Tana Hoff-Nielsen came a close second to Terry Archer without any special separate provisions.

I’m all in favour of “playing on the one field” and separate Ma¯ori wards merely create two fields. In light of the forthcoming overall representation review announced by the mayor,

Council should wait until that is completed before introducing separate Ma¯ori wards.

It may well be that community boards are better suited to representing localised Ma¯ori needs.

All those councillors who voted for Ma¯ori

wards need to seriously think again. John Nicole Pataua South