Is run by white men from wealthy suburbs
The Taiwanese-born academic said ethnic communities had a different view from mainstream New Zealand and the council needed a broader ethnic perspective.
It could start, he said, by tuning into two Chinese television stations and welcoming highly qualified people to apply for senior roles.
“I suggest Auckland Council utilise and tap the resources. They are here already,” he said.
One resource the council is tapping into is New Zealand Asian Leaders, made up of 150 top Asian leaders, which it informs of CCO board positions.
David Taipari, who chairs the seven-member Independent Maori Statutory Board, is unhappy with the level of Maori representation and diversity on CCO boards, but believes steps are being taken to improve the situation. Currently, six of the 50 CCO board members are Maori and just one Maori — Vivien Bridgwater, of Ateed — is represented at the executive table. Mr Taipari said that board appointments should be based on merit, but the question is “what does the merit include?”
“Is it all about being great business people or is it about being business people that have a range of diversity around them. You have to be a solid contributor, but what we want to see is more diversity to understand Maori issues and outcomes. What better way to achieve that than having Maori on the boards to assist that,” he said.
Mr Taipari would also like to see more Auckland iwi represented at board level. Three of the six Maori board members are from Ngati Whatua, one from Tainui and one each from the Gisborne and Rotorua regions.
“I don’t think council are being selective at this stage to select one tribe [from Auckland]. They strongly recognise there are 19 iwi throughout the Tamaki region.”
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