Fire hits the hāngī stones

The fire is hitting the hāngī stones – and the Government is starting to feel the burn.

Petitions with 11,000 signatures were handed over at Parliament to get rid of laws, branded ‘‘racist’’, that make it nearly impossible for Māori wards in councils.

Toni Boynton of Te Rōpū Tautoko Māori one of the groups that organised the two petitions, said Parliament was where the rules came from, but councils were where ‘‘the fire hits the hāngī stones’’.

‘‘Why not include the voice of people who have lived on the land for a thousand years?’’

The petitions ask for changes to local government legislation that leaves Māori wards at the mercy of a binding referendum. Once a council creates Māori wards, this decision can be overturned by the referendum, triggered by 5 per cent of voters.

No other wards can be stopped by public polls. The petitions asked that Māori wards be treated the same as other wards.

The Government has signalled changes are coming this term to the current laws, but the petitioners were keen for fast action.

Local Government Minister Nanaia Mahuta said she backed changes to the law but would not give a timeline for those changes.

‘‘We’ve only just resumed sitting back at Parliament and have our new mandate. I’ll certainly put the issue to Cabinet, and when they make their decision you’ll know about it.’’

She said she understood there was a need for some urgency with the changes. It was a priority for her, she said.

Mahuta said it was her belief that the time had come to see Māori faces in the nation’s councils: ‘‘Ki tāku whakapono, kua tae ki te wā ki te tirohia, ki te titiro ōu tātou nei kanohi Māori