Calls to revisit seats decision
FNDC not made final Ma¯ ori seats decision
ANorthland pro-Ma¯ ori wards campaigner is calling on Far North District Council to reconsider its decision over the special seats in the wake of new Government legislation.
Kevin Grose, Inclusion Northland leader, said Far North District Council (FNDC) should now make a decision in their favour, particularly as 51 per cent of its people identified as Ma¯ori — one of the highest percentages in New Zealand.
The Local Electoral (Ma¯ori Wards and Ma¯ori Constituencies) Amendment Bill passed its second reading this week. Northlanders were among those who presented their views on the topic to the Government’s Ma¯ori Affairs Parliamentary Select Committee headed by list MP Tamati Coffey as part of the legislation change.
This removed electors’ right to overturn councils’ decisions in favour of Ma¯ ori wards by demanding a binding poll. There were more than 12,500 submissions nationally sent in the 48 hour legislation change public submission timeslot. Grose said FNDC could now make a decision for Ma¯ori seats without fear of it being overturned if 5 per cent of electors demanded a poll. The change clearly showed the Government’s intention to encourage more Ma¯ori wards.
But Far North mayor John Carter has refused to be drawn on this challenge. He said his council had made no decision on whether or not it would vote for Ma¯ ori seats after the legislation change.
Local Government Minister Nanaia Mahuta has extended the deadline for councils to make decisions on whether to have Ma¯ori wards until May 21. Three of the nine councils that voted to do so before the previous February 21 deadline are from Northland. October efforts by FNDC councillors Kelly Stratford and Moko Tepania to get the council to vote for Ma¯ori seats failed after a 5/5 split vote in which Carter voted against doing so. FNDC instead decided to first poll its electors at the time of the next local government elections in 2022. Carter said on Friday that decision had been annulled by this week’s legislation change. FNDC had, as a result, held an across-sector workshop on Monday and an extraordinary council
Far North mayor John Carter says the council has not decided whether it will meet to make a decision on having Ma¯ ori seats. meeting on Tuesday to decide on boards offered the best linkage into how to now proceed. It decided to communities. Carter said the council take the Ma¯ori representation topic had not decided whether it would out to its people as part of an informal meet to make a decision on having much-wider March council consultation Ma¯ori seats, neither had there been on four major projects. Carter thought given to when it might do so. said it would be wrong to say the FNDC has one only full council meeting pending consultation was Ma¯ ori seats before the May 21 deadline for any consultation. Views were being Ma¯ori seats decision change. Carter sought on the items including council’s said that was not an issue as the wider representation review plus council could hold an extraordinary FNDC’s 2021-2031 Long Term and meeting to decide on Ma¯ori seats, District Plans. should it choose to.
Community meetings are being Tepania said the legislation change held in venues including Kaikohe, was great news. It offered hope for Kaitaia, Kawakawa, and Kerikeri. Northland as a whole. He is FNDC’s
Carter said representation review te ao Ma¯ori portfolio holder, a member aspects canvassed would include of Te Maruata (the national Local what the community thought of Ma¯ori Government New Zealand (LGNZ) seats and Ma¯ori committees such councils’ group focused on promoting as Northland Regional Council’s Te Ma¯ori representation and particiTaitokerau Maori and Council Working pation in local government) and Group (TTMAC) or Whangarei LGNZ young elected members’ comDistrict Council’s Te Ka¯rearea standing mittee co-chairman. FNDC’s October committee. They would also look 29 split vote on bringing in Ma¯ori at whether FNDC’s three community wards saw Stratford, Tepania and
councillors David Clendon, Rachel Smith and John Vujcich vote for doing so. Carter, Deputy mayor Ann Court, Dave Collard, Felicity Foy and Mate Radich voted against. Carter’s ensuing call for FNDC to instead first have a council-initiated poll, as part of the 2022 local body elections, then prevailed after his amendment to the failed Ma¯ori wards motion. This amendment was seconded by Collard and supported by Court, Clendon, Foy and Vujcich. Councillors Tepania, Smith, Stratford and Radich voted against this option.