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The number of guaranteed positions for Māori representatives on NZ local authorities will be cut by more than half, following a divisive legislative amendment that required local governments to put the fate of hard-won Indigenous wards to a public vote.

Background Information on Māori Wards

Indigenous electoral districts, which may have one or more councillors depending on demographic data, were established in 2001 to give Indigenous voters the option to vote for a guaranteed Māori representative in local and regional authorities. Initially, councils were only able to create a Indigenous seat by initially submitting it to a community referendum in their area. Local populations frequently spent years building community backing and urging their councils to establish Māori wards.

Policy Changes and Government Actions

To remedy the issue, the former administration allowed municipal authorities to establish a Indigenous seat without first requiring them to subject it to a popular ballot.

However, this year, the right-wing coalition government reversed the change, saying local residents ought to determine whether to introduce Māori wards.

Referendum Results

The coalition’s law change mandated local authorities that had created a electoral district under the previous policy to hold decisive public votes alongside the local body elections, which ended on October 11. Of 42 councils participating in the referendum, 17 voted to keep their wards, and 25 to abolish theirs – showing many regions opposed to reserved Indigenous seats.

The results represented “a vital step in reinstating community self-determination.”

Critics however have criticised the new policy as “discriminatory” and “against Indigenous interests”. Since taking office, the current administration has implemented sweeping rollbacks to policies intended to improve Māori health, wellbeing and representation. The government has said it aims to terminate “ethnic-specific” approaches, and asserts it is committed to improving outcomes for Indigenous people and all New Zealanders.

Geographical Splits

The results of the public votes were divided down city-country divisions – six of the seven cities required to vote backed Indigenous seats, while countryside areas skewed heavily towards disestablishing them.

“It’s a real shame for the Māori wards that had only just come in – they’re only just starting to hit their stride.”

Electoral Participation and Criticism

This year’s local government elections recorded the lowest voter turnout in 36 years, with less than a third of citizens participating, prompting demands for reform.

This approach had been “a farce”.

Differential Standards

Local governments are able to establish other types of wards – including rural wards – without initially mandating a public vote. The disparate requirements placed on Māori wards indicated the administration was targeting Indigenous inclusion.

“Well, they failed. Numerous localities have given the government a middle finger response.”

This remark referred to the 17 regions that voted to keep their seats.