Council signals it will ditch Maori ward poll

NEW PLYMOUTH: The New Plymouth District Council has signalled its support of expected changes to the Local Electoral Act, scrapping the provision allowing for a poll following a decision to establish a Maori ward.

Councillors have agreed to prepare a submission to the Government that backs getting rid of the citizensinitiated referendum.

But the decision was not unanimous.

In July, the council voted to establish a Maori ward for the 2022 election.

A petition for a citizensinitiated referendum on the issue was started immediately afterwards.

In 2015, a similar referendum overturned the establishment of a Maori ward in the city, when 83% of those who took part voted it down.

On Tuesday night, Mayor Neil Holdom threw his support behind the submission, despite abstaining from the earlier vote on establishing a Maori ward.

‘‘This is an unjust piece of legislation that needs to be addressed and it’s only through communities voicing their views that we give those politicians the mandate to go out and do this reform.’’

However, deputy mayor Richard Jordan — who voted against the establishment of a Maori ward because it had not gone out for public consultation — stuck to his guns.

‘‘I think we are again presuming that the community has a view that is actually not in line with this council.

‘‘And the reason we’re not going to the community to ask . . . is because we think we will not like what they have to say.’’

But the council’s only Maori councillor, Dinnie Moeahu, believed a Maori ward’s time had come.

‘‘So when is the right time? The right time is when the moment is right and the moment is right now. That’s the change we seek.’’ — RNZ