'We should be exempt': Could three councils get out of the new poll provisions for Māori wards?

Saturday, 25 May 2024

South Taranaki Mayor Phil Nixon is one of three mayors who say they should be exempt from the Coalition Government’s provisional poll u-turn. (File photo)

Three councils say they should be exempt from the new provisional poll requirements for Māori Wards as theirs were established prior to legislative change.

Local Government Minister Simeon Brown announced on April 4 that the previous rules would be scrapped and return to provisional polls.

“The Government will introduce a bill in the coming months that will restore the ability for communities to petition their councils to hold binding polls on Māori ward decisions.

“This will include holding binding polls on wards that were established without the ability for local referendums to take place.”

But South Taranaki, Ruapehu, and Gisborne district councils have called for an exemption from the polls because at the time they instituted the wards, there was the ability to force a poll.

Local Government Minister Simeon Brown announced the legislative change on April 4. (File photo)

They wrote: “Our Councils introduced Māori Wards and fully completed the established legislative process before the [then] Labour Government changed the legislation, removing the ability of the community to have a poll.”

The mayors said they understood the Government was “committed to restoring the right to binding referenda” but felt “strongly” that councils which made decisions prior to the change in 2021 should be exempt from “this costly, time consuming and politically divisive process again”.

South Taranaki District Council did not receive a valid demand for a poll by the cut off date of 22 February, 2021.

South Taranaki District Council resolved to establish Māori Wards in November 2020 and notified the public of their right to demand a poll.

The community needed to put forward a valid demand that was signed by at least 5% of eligible voters by 22 February, 2021 to trigger the poll, however no valid demand was received.

Gisborne District Council and Ruapehu District Council also published a public notice, and in each case no valid demand was received.

From left, Te Tai Tonga Māori Ward councillor Tuteri Dal Rangihaeata and Te Kūrae Māori Ward councillor Leanne Horo were elected onto the South Taranaki District Council in 2022. (File photo)

That means they “passed” the test two days before the Local Electoral Amendment Bill passed removing the need for polls.

South Taranaki’s Te Tai Tonga Māori Ward councillor Tuteri Dal Rangihaeata said the support and leadership he’d seen from the council regarding Māori representation locally and nationally had been incredible.

“South Taranaki District Council and the wider whānau are very strong supporters of the Māori Ward kaupapa.

“They’ve shown quite a lot of mana. The council here is South Taranaki have been moving in the right direction and all the councillors have been showing real vision in doing what they think is right.”

The letter was sent a few days before Local Government New Zealand sent another letter signed by 66% of the nation’s mayors and chairs of regional councils and territorial authorities opposing the requirement for compulsory polls on any Māori wards created since the 2021 changes.

They said “mandating that polls be run on Māori wards and constituencies is an overreach”, and urged the Government to reconsider.

Local Government Minister Simeon Brown has been approached for comment.