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The number of reserved positions for Māori representatives on NZ councils will be slashed by over 50%, following a controversial law change that forced municipal councils to submit the future of hard-won Indigenous wards to a popular referendum.

Historical Context on Māori Wards

Indigenous electoral districts, which may have multiple councillors based on demographic data, were established in 2001 to give Indigenous voters the option to elect a guaranteed Māori representative in municipal and provincial governments. Originally, local governments could only establish a Indigenous seat by initially submitting it to a public vote in their region. Local populations often spent years building community backing and pushing their local governments to establish Māori wards.

Legislative Shifts and Government Actions

To address this concern, the previous Labour government allowed municipal authorities to set up a Māori ward without initially mandating them to put it to a public vote.

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

Voting Outcomes

The new legislation mandated councils that had created a electoral district under Labour’s rules to hold binding referendums alongside the local body elections, which ended on 11 October. Of 42 councils participating in the public vote, 17 decided to retain their seats, and 25 to disestablish theirs – showing numerous areas opposed to reserved Indigenous seats.

These outcomes provided “a crucial move in reinstating local democratic control.”

Opposition parties however have condemned the new policy as “discriminatory” and “against Indigenous interests”. Since taking office, the current administration has implemented extensive reversals to measures designed to improve Indigenous welfare and political inclusion. Officials has said it wants to terminate “race-based” policies, and asserts it is committed to enhancing results for Māori and all New Zealanders.

Geographical Splits

The results of the public votes were divided down city-country divisions – six of the seven urban centers mandated to hold referendums backed Indigenous seats, while rural regions 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 find their footing.”

Electoral Participation and Criticism

The recent municipal polls recorded the lowest voter turnout in 36 years, with under one-third of eligible voters casting a vote, prompting demands for reform.

This approach had been “a farce”.

Comparative Treatment

Local governments are permitted to establish different wards – including countryside seats – without initially mandating a community ballot. The disparate requirements placed on Indigenous representation suggested the government was singling out Indigenous inclusion.

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

This statement concerned the 17 areas that chose to retain their seats.