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The number of guaranteed positions for Indigenous council members on New Zealand local authorities will be cut by more than half, after a controversial law change that required municipal councils to submit the future of hard-won Indigenous wards to a popular referendum.

Background Information on Māori Wards

Māori wards, which can include one or more councillors based on demographic data, were created in 2001 to give Māori electors the option to elect a assured Indigenous council member in municipal and provincial governments. Originally, local governments were only able to create a Indigenous seat by initially putting it to a community referendum in their area. Communities often spent years building local support and urging their local governments to create Māori wards.

Policy Changes and Government Actions

To remedy the issue, the former administration allowed municipal authorities to establish a Māori ward without initially mandating them to put it to a public vote.

However, this year, the current administration reversed the change, stating local residents ought to determine whether to establish Māori wards.

Voting Outcomes

The new legislation required local authorities that had established a electoral district under Labour’s rules to hold binding referendums alongside the local body elections, which ended on 11 October. Of 42 councils taking part in the public vote, 17 voted to keep their seats, and twenty-five to abolish theirs – showing numerous areas opposed to guaranteed Māori representation.

The results provided “a vital step in restoring local democratic control.”

Critics however have condemned the government’s law change as “discriminatory” and “against Indigenous interests”. After assuming power, the current administration has ushered in sweeping rollbacks to measures intended to improve Indigenous welfare and political inclusion. The government has stated it aims to terminate “ethnic-specific” approaches, and asserts it is committed to enhancing results for Māori and every citizen.

Urban-Rural Divide

The results of the referendums were divided down city-country divisions – most urban centers mandated to hold referendums supported Māori wards, while countryside areas skewed heavily towards removing them.

“It’s a real shame for the Indigenous seats that had only just come in – they’re just beginning to find their footing.”

Electoral Participation and Concerns

The recent municipal polls registered the smallest electoral participation in over three decades, with under one-third of citizens participating, leading to demands for reform.

The process had been “a mockery”.

Comparative Treatment

Local governments are permitted to establish different electoral districts – such as countryside seats – without initially mandating a public vote. The disparate requirements placed on Māori wards indicated the government was targeting Māori representation.

“Ultimately, they were unsuccessful. Numerous localities have given the government a middle finger response.”

This remark concerned the 17 regions that chose to retain their seats.