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The count of reserved seats for Indigenous council members on New Zealand councils will be slashed by over 50%, after a controversial law change that forced local governments to put the future of hard-won Indigenous wards to a public vote.

Historical Context on Māori Wards

Indigenous electoral districts, which can include one or more elected officials depending on demographic data, were created in 2001 to give Indigenous voters the option to elect a assured Indigenous council member in local and regional authorities. Originally, councils could only create a Māori ward by initially putting it to a public vote in their area. Local populations frequently spent years generating community backing and urging their councils to create Māori wards.

Policy Changes and Administrative Decisions

To address this concern, the previous Labour government permitted local councils to establish a Māori ward without initially mandating them to subject it to a popular ballot.

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

Voting Outcomes

The new legislation mandated local authorities that had created a electoral district under the previous policy to conduct binding referendums concurrently with the local body elections, which ended on October 11. Out of 42 local governments participating in the referendum, 17 voted to keep their wards, and twenty-five to abolish theirs – revealing numerous areas opposed to guaranteed Māori representation.

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

Opposition parties however have condemned the new policy as “racist” and “anti-Māori”. After assuming power, the current administration has implemented extensive reversals to measures designed to improve Indigenous welfare and political inclusion. The government has stated it wants to terminate “race-based” policies, and says it is dedicated to improving outcomes for Indigenous people and every citizen.

Geographical Splits

Outcomes of the referendums were divided down urban-rural lines – six of the seven urban centers mandated to hold referendums backed Indigenous seats, while rural regions leaned strongly towards removing them.

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

Electoral Participation and Criticism

The recent municipal polls recorded the smallest electoral participation in 36 years, with under one-third of eligible voters casting a vote, leading to demands for reform.

The process had been “a farce”.

Comparative Treatment

Councils are able to create different electoral districts – such as rural wards – without initially mandating a public vote. The different conditions applied to Māori wards suggested the government was singling out Māori representation.

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

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