Forum seeks ward law change
Taranaki’s three mayors and the chair of the regional council have written to the prime minister calling for a change to the law around Ma¯ori wards.
A letter from the Taranaki Mayoral Forum to Jacinda Ardern and Minister of Local Government Nanaia Mahuta calls for changing the Local Amendment Act to remove the clauses that allow a poll to overturn a council’s decision to establish a Ma¯ori ward.
‘‘We are deeply concerned that the current legislation represents a barrier to progress in Aotearoa’s cultural evolution,’’ the letter, signed by New Plymouth mayor Neil Holdom, South Taranaki mayor and forum chair Phil Nixon, Stratford mayor Neil Volzke and Taranaki Regional Council chairman David MacLeod, states.
‘‘The current legislation treats the creation of Ma¯ori ward(s) differently to the creation of geographic wards and in our view is inherently unjust and out of step with contemporary New Zealand values.’’
The letter notes that prior to last year’s election, Mahuta indicated the Labour Party was committed to amending the Act.
‘‘We thank you for publicly committing to this reform and urge you to progress the matter without delay.’’
The letter was sent in the middle of December, and its contents were shared with the Daily News this week.
Nicole Chadwick, spokesperson for the Taranaki Mayoral
Forum, said the prime minister’s office had left Mahuta to respond as the issue is within her portfolios.
“The mayoral forum has not yet received a response from the minister,” Chadwick said in an email.
New Plymouth District Council has pledged to introduce a ward in time for next year’s elections, while South Taranaki was the first council in the country to unanimously agree to such a move.
Lobby group Hobson’s Pledge has been delivering flyers in
South Taranaki to generate support for a referendum.
Former South Taranaki District Councillor Bonita Bigham has expressed her disgust at the promotional sheets, calling them dishonest and deceitful.
‘‘So much so that I’ve had family members who were about to sign them and send them back because they support Ma¯ori wards,’’ Bigham said.
‘‘I’m not surprised, because I know it has been happening in other parts of the country.
‘‘Just quite disgusted, really.’’
The flyers talk about giving people a say on Ma¯ori wards, but they have already had one, Bigham said.
‘‘They [councillors] heard from the community when they were making the decision. They made their decision; it should be honoured.
‘‘You don’t see them piping up for any other decision that South Taranaki District Council has ever made.’’
Hobson’s Pledge spokesman Dr Don Brash denied that speaking up on Ma¯ori wards came from a racist view.
He said the group was not opposed to Ma¯ori representation, but it opposed racially based representation.
‘‘This is a free country. ‘‘Most people in the country do not want racially based wards,’’ Brash said.
He said he did not have the wording of the pamphlet in front of him, but he denied it was misleading.
‘‘It’s quite clear, I think, that what we want is for people to have a right to express their view.’’