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The number of reserved seats for Māori representatives on New Zealand local authorities is set to be slashed by over 50%, after a divisive law change that required municipal councils to put the fate of hard-won Indigenous wards to a popular referendum.

Background Information on Indigenous Representation

Māori wards, which may have one or more elected officials based on local population numbers, were established in 2001 to give Māori electors the choice to elect a guaranteed Indigenous council member in municipal and provincial governments. Originally, local governments could only create a Māori ward by initially putting it to a public vote in their area. Local populations often spent years building community backing and urging their councils to establish Māori wards.

Policy Changes and Administrative Decisions

To address this concern, the former administration permitted municipal authorities to establish a Indigenous seat without first requiring them to put it to a public vote.

However, this year, the current administration reversed the change, saying communities should decide whether to introduce Māori wards.

Referendum Results

The coalition’s law change required local authorities that had created a ward under the previous policy to hold decisive public votes alongside the municipal polls, which ended on 11 October. Out of 42 local governments participating in the public vote, 17 voted to keep their seats, and twenty-five to abolish theirs – revealing numerous areas opposed to guaranteed Māori representation.

The results provided “a crucial move in reinstating community self-determination.”

Critics nevertheless have criticised the new policy as “discriminatory” and “against Indigenous interests”. Since taking office, the current administration has ushered in sweeping rollbacks to measures intended to enhance Indigenous welfare and political inclusion. The government has stated it wants to terminate “ethnic-specific” approaches, and asserts it is committed to enhancing results for Indigenous people and every citizen.

Urban-Rural Divide

The results of the referendums were divided down city-country divisions – most urban centers required to vote supported Indigenous seats, while countryside areas skewed heavily towards removing them.

“It's unfortunate for the Indigenous seats that had only just come in – they’re only just starting to hit their stride.”

Electoral Participation and Criticism

The recent municipal polls recorded the smallest electoral participation in over three decades, with less than a third of citizens participating, leading to calls for an overhaul.

This approach had been “a farce”.

Differential Standards

Local governments are able to create different wards – such as rural wards – without first requiring a public vote. The disparate requirements applied to Māori wards indicated the government was singling out Indigenous inclusion.

“Well, they failed. Many communities have given the government a middle finger response.”

This statement concerned the 17 areas that voted to keep their wards.