A question to Winston Peters

 

Democracy Northland has (twice) asked Winston Peters, leader of NZ First, the following question:

Should your party be in a position to do so after the October election, would it reinstate sections 19ZA to 19ZG of the Local Electoral Act 2001?

 By way of background, those sections were repealed by section 7 of the Local Electoral (Māori Wards and Māori Constituencies) Amendment Act 2021

The effect was to remove the right of electors (the people) to petition their local council to force a binding referendum about the introduction of Maori wards/constituencies. The Labour Party (Nanaia Mahuta as the then Minister of Local Government) removed that right retrospectively.   

No reply or acknowledgment was received so the email was resent, but still no reply or acknowledgement. We therefore sent the email to Shane Jones. The following reply was received:

Hi 

NZFirst return local referendums on it at this point. 

Regards 

Dot Jones 

Shane Jones Campaign 

We appreciate the reply, although remain surprised that NZ First has not gone as far as National or Act who have made it clear that they woudl abolish the Maori seats on local councils.

It appears from the reply that NZ First would retain the Maori wards but reinstate the right of electors to demand a biding referendum shoudl more than 5% of electors sign a petition (in paper form, not online) calling for a referendum.