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The count of guaranteed seats for Indigenous council members on NZ councils is set to be cut by over 50%, following a divisive law change that required municipal councils to submit the future of hard-earned Māori seats to a popular referendum.

Background Information on Indigenous Representation

Indigenous electoral districts, which may have one or more elected officials based on local population numbers, were created in 2001 to give Māori electors the choice to elect a guaranteed Māori representative in local and regional authorities. Originally, local governments could only create a Indigenous seat by initially submitting it to a community referendum in their region. Communities frequently spent years generating community backing and pushing their councils to create Māori wards.

Legislative Shifts and Administrative Decisions

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

However, this year, the right-wing coalition government overturned the policy, saying communities should decide whether to establish Indigenous representation.

Referendum Results

The coalition’s law change required councils that had created a ward under the previous policy to conduct decisive public votes concurrently with the local body elections, which ended on 11 October. Of 42 councils taking part in the public vote, 17 voted to retain their seats, and twenty-five to abolish theirs – revealing many regions opposed to guaranteed Māori representation.

The results represented “a crucial move in restoring local democratic control.”

Critics however have condemned the government’s law change as “racist” and “anti-Māori”. Since taking office, the current administration has implemented extensive reversals to measures intended to enhance Māori health, wellbeing and representation. The government has said it aims to terminate “ethnic-specific” approaches, and asserts it is committed to enhancing results for Māori and all New Zealanders.

Geographical Splits

The results of the public votes were split down urban-rural lines – six of the seven urban centers required to vote backed Māori wards, while countryside areas skewed heavily towards disestablishing them.

“It’s a real shame for the Māori wards that had recently been established – they’re just beginning to hit their stride.”

Electoral Participation and Criticism

This year’s municipal polls registered the lowest voter turnout in 36 years, with under one-third of eligible voters participating, leading to demands for reform.

The process had been “a mockery”.

Comparative Treatment

Councils are able to create different electoral districts – such as countryside seats – without first requiring a community ballot. The disparate requirements applied to Indigenous representation indicated the government was singling out Māori representation.

“Well, they failed. Many communities have expressed strong opposition.”

This statement concerned the 17 regions that voted to retain their seats.