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The count of guaranteed seats for Indigenous council members on New Zealand local authorities is set to be slashed by over 50%, after a controversial legislative amendment that required municipal councils to put the future of hard-won Māori seats to a public vote.

Background Information on Māori Wards

Māori wards, which may have one or more councillors based on demographic data, were established in 2001 to provide Indigenous voters the choice to elect a guaranteed Māori representative in municipal and provincial governments. Originally, local governments could only create a Māori ward by first putting it to a public vote in their region. Communities frequently devoted considerable time generating local support and pushing their councils to create Indigenous representation.

Legislative Shifts and Government Actions

To remedy the issue, the previous Labour government permitted local councils to establish a Māori ward without first requiring them to subject it to a public vote.

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

Voting Outcomes

The new legislation required councils that had established a ward under the previous policy to hold decisive public votes alongside the municipal polls, which concluded on 11 October. Of 42 councils taking part in the referendum, 17 decided to retain their wards, and 25 to disestablish theirs – revealing numerous areas opposed to reserved Indigenous seats.

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

Opposition parties however have criticised the new policy as “discriminatory” and “against Indigenous interests”. Since taking office, the current administration has implemented extensive reversals to policies designed to improve Indigenous welfare and political inclusion. The government has stated it aims to end “ethnic-specific” policies, and says it is dedicated to improving outcomes for Indigenous people and every citizen.

Urban-Rural Divide

The results of the referendums were split down urban-rural lines – six of the seven cities mandated to hold referendums backed 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 hit their stride.”

Electoral Participation and Criticism

The recent local government elections registered the smallest electoral participation in 36 years, with less than a third of citizens participating, prompting calls for an overhaul.

This approach had been “a mockery”.

Differential Standards

Councils are able to establish different electoral districts – such as rural wards – without first requiring a public vote. The different conditions applied to Indigenous representation suggested the administration was targeting Indigenous inclusion.

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

This remark referred to the 17 regions that voted to retain their wards.