A smatter of Ma¯ori ward opposition

Their numbers were few, but their intentions were clear.

Twenty or so Palmerston North Ma¯ori ward supporters greeted Don Brash when he turned up in The Square on Wednesday afternoon.

A similar-sized group turned out to back the Hobson’s Pledge lobbyist’s call for a poll on the Palmerston North City Council decision to adopt Ma¯ ori wards for the 2019 local body elections, and passed around petition forms.

In the morning, Brash had been in Feilding gathering signatures to overturn the Manawatu¯ District Council’s declaration for Ma¯ori wards.

While Brash said there weren’t all that many people about in Feilding, ‘‘quite a number’’ had signed the petition.

‘‘Almost all the people we approached wanted to sign, including a number of Ma¯ ori,’’ he said.

There were also about a dozen signatures from Palmerston North people on the city version of the petition who happened to be in Feilding for the morning.

‘‘I’ve not approached anyone who has rejected the petition. We were prepared to engage in dialogue. We wanted to talk to people about the issues and we’ve done that,’’ Brash said.

Pro-ward district councillor Hilary Humphrey said it was ultimately up to the community to decide, and not be dictated to by a former party politician.

Opposing district councillor, and Brash’s Feilding host, Andrew Quarrie said having a petition to defend what he called the status quo was ‘‘back to front’’.

‘‘Those wanting to change the status quo [in favour of wards] should be the ones having to promote a petition. This has been forced on people in Manawatu¯ without consultation,’’ Quarrie said.

Feilding Ma¯ ori committee Nga¯ Manu Ta¯ iko chairwoman Cr Alison Short believed a person elected to a Ma¯ori ward would bring a ‘‘Ma¯ori worldview’’ to council decision-making, while the district council had stepped up its statutory obligations to honour the Treaty of Waitangi.

In Palmerston North, Margarita Kento said Hobson’s Pledge supporters assembling beneath the statue of Te Peeti Te Awe Awe disrespected her Rangita¯ ne forebear.

‘‘It’s a huge insult to my tipuna [ancestor] that Don Brash is here to promote racism,’’ Kento said.

Brash said he was unfamiliar with the statue.

‘‘Until you mentioned it, I had no idea about [the significance of the statue]. I had no part in choosing that particular place. I’m just going where my hosts lead me.’’

Derrick Storey, from Marton, said the idea of separate Ma¯ori seats and wards was insulting to Ma¯ ori, who had achieved 17 to 18 per cent representation in Parliament on their own merits.

Fraser Greig, from the Palmerston North Community Services Council, said wards were ‘‘an effort to engage with a disenfranchised section of the community’’.

‘‘This is a national discussion as well as local – and on a personal note, our community can make up its own mind without divisive rhetoric – it’s not helpful.’’

Poll supporter Wendy Schultze, from Palmerston North, said the city council should not be be deciding how it was elected.

‘‘Why is the council not asking the people?’’

Manawatu¯ District voters need 1004 signatures and city voters need 2727 signatures by February 21 to force polls on the Ma¯ ori ward issue.