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The count of reserved positions for Indigenous council members on NZ councils will be cut by more than half, after a divisive law change that forced municipal councils to submit the future of hard-earned Indigenous wards to a popular referendum.

Historical Context on Māori Wards

Indigenous electoral districts, which may have multiple elected officials depending on demographic data, were created in 2001 to provide Māori electors the option to vote for a guaranteed Māori representative in municipal and provincial governments. Originally, local governments could only create a Māori ward by first submitting it to a community referendum in their region. Communities frequently spent years generating local support and pushing their local governments to create Indigenous representation.

Legislative Shifts and Administrative Decisions

To address this concern, the previous Labour government permitted local councils to set up a Indigenous seat without first requiring them to subject it to a popular ballot.

However, this year, the current administration reversed the change, stating local residents should decide whether to introduce Māori wards.

Referendum Results

The new legislation required councils that had created a electoral district under Labour’s rules to conduct binding referendums concurrently with the municipal polls, which ended on October 11. Of 42 councils participating in the public vote, 17 decided to keep their wards, and twenty-five to abolish theirs – revealing many regions against guaranteed Māori representation.

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

Opposition parties nevertheless have criticised the government’s law change as “racist” and “against Indigenous interests”. After assuming power, the current administration has implemented extensive reversals to policies intended to improve Indigenous welfare and political inclusion. The government has stated it aims to end “race-based” approaches, and asserts it is committed to enhancing results for Indigenous people and all New Zealanders.

Urban-Rural Divide

Outcomes of the public votes were divided down city-country divisions – six of the seven urban centers required to vote supported Māori wards, while countryside areas skewed heavily towards removing them.

“It’s a real shame for the Indigenous seats that had recently been established – they’re only just starting to hit their stride.”

Electoral Participation and Concerns

The recent local government elections registered the smallest electoral participation in over three decades, with less than a third of eligible voters casting a vote, leading to demands for reform.

This approach had been “a farce”.

Comparative Treatment

Local governments are able to establish other types of wards – such as countryside seats – without first requiring a community ballot. The different conditions placed on Indigenous representation suggested the administration was singling out Māori representation.

“Well, they failed. Numerous localities have expressed strong opposition.”

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