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The number of reserved positions for Māori representatives on New Zealand councils is set to be slashed by more than half, after a divisive law change that required municipal councils to submit the fate of hard-earned Māori seats to a public vote.

Historical Context on Indigenous Representation

Māori wards, which can include one or more councillors depending on demographic data, were created in 2001 to give Māori electors the choice to elect a assured Indigenous council member in municipal and provincial governments. Originally, councils were only able to establish a Māori ward by initially putting it to a public vote in their area. Communities often devoted considerable time generating community backing and urging their councils to create Indigenous representation.

Policy Changes and Administrative Decisions

To remedy the issue, the former administration allowed municipal authorities to set up a Māori ward without first requiring them to put it to a public vote.

However, this year, the current administration overturned the policy, saying communities should decide whether to introduce Indigenous representation.

Referendum Results

The new legislation required councils that had established a electoral district under the previous policy to hold decisive public votes alongside the local body elections, which ended on 11 October. Of 42 councils participating in the referendum, 17 decided to keep their wards, and twenty-five to abolish theirs – showing numerous areas opposed to guaranteed Māori representation.

These outcomes provided “a crucial move in reinstating community self-determination.”

Critics nevertheless have condemned the new policy as “racist” and “anti-Māori”. Since taking office, the coalition government has implemented extensive reversals to measures intended to improve Māori health, wellbeing and representation. The government has stated it aims to end “ethnic-specific” approaches, and says it is committed to improving outcomes for Indigenous people and every citizen.

Urban-Rural Divide

Outcomes of the referendums were divided down urban-rural lines – most urban centers mandated to hold referendums backed Indigenous seats, while countryside areas leaned strongly 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 Concerns

The recent municipal polls registered the smallest electoral participation in over three decades, with less than a third of eligible voters casting a vote, prompting calls for an overhaul.

The process had been “a mockery”.

Comparative Treatment

Local governments are permitted to create different wards – such as rural wards – without first requiring a public vote. The disparate requirements placed on Indigenous representation suggested the government was singling out Indigenous inclusion.

“Ultimately, they were unsuccessful. Numerous localities have expressed strong opposition.”

This statement referred to the 17 regions that chose to retain their wards.