Should our Council’s support racist and anti-democratic organisations?

Sport Northland’s purpose and vision is to enrich Northlanders' lives through movement and have all Northlanders moving more for enhanced well-being. Its purpose is admirable and on many accounts, it does great work. It is significantly funded by ratepayers in Northland to manage recreational assets. Recently it refused to hire a room to a community group because it did not agree with their political views about co-governance. It reversed its decision when it was pointed out that discriminating against a person because they don’t like their political views breaches the Human Rights Act. 

Why did Sport Northland object? 

Because they have embraced co-governance. Its 2022 Annual Report states, 

"Sport Northland acknowledges that He Whakaputanga o te Rangatiratanga

o Nu Tireni (He Whakaputanga) and Te Tiriti o Waitangi as Aotearoa New

Zealand’s founding documents. Sport Northland is committed to upholding

the mana of Te Tiriti o Waitangi, which includes both the articles (Kāwanatanga,

Tino Rangatiratanga, Ōritetanga and Wairuatanga) and the principles

(Partnership, Protection and Participation)."

 “We have continued to develop our cultural knowledge and capability, furthering the progress achieved from past years. The journey of understanding and enacting our responsibilities under He Whakaputanga, the Te Tiriti o Waitangi articles and principles has continued through Tiriti training/education throughout the year, including a trip to Waitangi where we immersed ourselves as well as undertaking one of our strategic plan workshops. At the July board meeting, the board made the courageous decision to appoint…co-chairs for a 12 month trial. This was a result of the board realising that 50% board non-Māori/ Māori composition was really only a start of the cogovernance journey – and for true partnership we needed to venture into non-Māori/Māori leadership of the board.” (https://www.sporty.co.nz/asset/downloadasset?id=2114bf20-b05e-4da8-b2fb-d4ce30de1f9e) 

How Sport Northland governs itself is a matter for it to decide. It is also a matter for our local councils to consider when Sport Northland manages ratepayer assets. 

Given Sport Northland saw no wrong (initially) in discriminating against a group because of its political view, assurances must be gained that it will treat everyone fairly in the future and we are calling on the Chair‘ of the Northland Regional Council and Northland’s three mayors to do exactly that.