‘Reformed racist’ goes toe-to-toe with Brash
THE country’s most famous ‘‘recovering racist’’ will go headto-head with former National and ACT party leader Don Brash over Ma¯ori wards.
In his three years as mayor of New Plymouth, Andrew Judd championed Ma¯ori representation at council following an epiphany that challenged him to confront his attitudes toward Ma¯ori.
And while the backlash he received from voters meant he did not stand for reelection in 2016, he is still a leading voice in the debate for Ma¯ori representation in local government.
In March Judd challenged Brash, who is part of the Hobson’s Pledge lobby group that sees wards as a form of racial preference, to a public debate.
And Brash, who earlier this year campaigned to force a referendum on the establishment of wards in Palmerston North, accepted and their debate will now screen on Ma¯ori Television’s Native Affairs programme tomorrow.
‘‘I made the call after Don had a go at local government who are calling on the Government to change the law around polls and petitions aimed only at the Ma¯ori voice on council’s,’’ Judd said.
Judd has been keeping a close eye on Palmerston North after the city council and Manawatu¯ District Council voted last year in favour of establishing Ma¯ori wards. However opponents forced a referendum on the issue with voting open until noon on Saturday, May 19.
In 2015 a voter-forced referendum in New Plymouth overwhelmingly rejected the district council’s single Ma¯ori ward proposal.
‘‘Palmerston North are going through the same thing New Plymouth went through,’’ Judd said.
But he hopes the TV debate will allow people to feel informed. ‘‘It’s a polarising issue. It is emotional, it’s about who we are, how we connect in a bicultural way.’’